Unexplained
by dabbling
Summary: Bobby needs help, and he gets it from the last place he ever expected. Genre? Mystery/Family/Hurt/Comfort/Romance and then some. Other characters: Donny Carlson.
1. Chapter 1

Unexplained

Goren arrived at the house and felt his stomach tighten as he realized Eames wasn't waiting for him in the other car. Bobby slipped out of his seat and secured his weapon in his holster. It was already growing dark outside, and he pondered for a moment whether he should make use of his wrist light or if it would be safer to rely on his own night vision. He found the light and stuffed it in his coat pocket. Then he approached Eames' car warily.

He'd been right, she wasn't there. Bobby knew she wouldn't have gone in without him unless she felt there was no other choice. What he didn't understand was why she hadn't called it in. He drew his weapon and walked carefully to the door.

The front door was slightly ajar, and he peered through the opening until he was satisfied that it was safe to enter. Goren stepped inside, scanning the room with his eyes. He saw a rectangular object on the floor, small, and there was a trail of rubble around it as if it had been smashed.

Carefully, he walked toward the object, bracing himself and checking every possible hiding place along the way: a closet, a kitchen nook.

It was a cell phone. Eames' phone. He glanced around once again and then let his eyes move along the floor. She was lying on the ground not six feet away. As quickly as he could, Bobby went to her side. He squatted down and checked her pulse. She was still alive.

"Eames," he whispered, but she didn't respond.

His gun still in his left, aimed out into the open, unexplored part of the room, he threw glances her way and checked her as best he could. He couldn't find her injury, but he did find that her weapon was missing.

Bobby was in a fix, now. He needed to call for backup, to get her help, but he couldn't risk giving away his location. Their perp was probably lurking in the darkness nearby. Making the call could risk both his and Eames' life.

He stood, keeping his gun hand at the ready. Bobby retrieved his cell phone from his pocket and dialed. He whispered the 10-13 call. "Officer down," he said. He gave the address and added, "Perp is believed to be on site, and probably armed." Bobby squatted down and left his phone under his partner's fingers, the call still active. His right hand brushed against her hand before he rose to his feet again.

Now Bobby was all business. He continued forward, cautiously searching the house for the perp. He saw a small table beside the basement doorway and noticed a little statue had toppled over there. Bobby started slowly down the stairs.

As he descended, the stairs opened up to the basement on both sides of him. He had to make a choice about where he thought the perp would be.

Bobby thought about the layout of the house, and chose to turn toward the larger part of the room. His decision was a poor one.

"Drop it," MacKearn snarled from behind him. "I have a bullet trained at your head. Drop it, Detective."

Bobby fell back on his best weapon, psychology. "S-sure, okay," he said. "Y-you don't need that gun, either, you know… we can talk this out."

"Shut up."

Bobby clamped his mouth shut and nodded before speaking again. "I know how you must feel," he said. "You're thinking… there's only one way out of this, but… but that's not true, okay? Evidence is not always proof. You have a very good chance in a courtroom."

"Cuff yourself. In front. You're gonna need your hands."

Slowly, Bobby did as the man asked.

"Now. Walk straight ahead. Move that chair to the side." He waited while Bobby slid the chair. There was some kind of a cover on a small patch in the wall, just behind where the chair had been.

"Push on it, gently."

Goren pushed, and the little door moved.

"Slide it over to the right." Again, he waited. "Now crawl in."

It was very small for a man Goren's size to get through, but he managed it. He felt with his bound hands in the darkness and moved in, prodded to keep going by MacKearn's orders. Bobby heard the man sliding the piece of drywall back into place. Suddenly, a flashlight offered some light in the musty space.

"You're gonna keep crawling, quietly. I still have a bullet with your name on it. Don't think you have a chance at this range. Straight ahead. Go."

Bobby's mind pieced together where he was as he slithered through the tiny space. The house was very old, and this tunnel was most likely used to house runaway slaves when they needed a good place to hide.

Finally, he found another tiny doorway. Bobby slid a latch and opened the old wooden door. Then he crawled up and out. He tried to turn back quickly, to knock MacKearn off balance, but the man was too fast for him. He already had the gun trained steadily on him when he turned.

MacKearn walked him over to the old Cadillac and made him get into the back seat. Before he knew what hit him, the man had clocked him hard in the head. With a grunt, Bobby fell over the back seat of the car.

MacKearn took his wallet and his shield. He climbed into the driver's seat. He slipped Bobby's identification under the seat and started the car.

Calmly, MacKearn drove out of the old barn and turned onto the back road that led to the city street. One glance in the mirror told him that he'd barely escaped capture.

Once he hit the open road, he increased his speed. In this country village, there wasn't a chance that any of the cops were watching the road. They were all too busy back at the house.

He would steer clear of the interstate. Surely the state police would be looking for him.

MacKearn drove upstate along the curves and in and out of the haunting woods that surrounded them.

Goren stirred. Bobby's mind registered pain and the gentle rumbling of the car beneath his body. He slowly raised his head high enough to get a handle on his predicament.

It was just him and MacKearn. Bobby wriggled slowly until his hands were on the driver's side of the car. In one motion, he sat up and punched MacKearn hard with his cuffed hands.

The car spun out of control, flipped, and sliced across a guard rail before it went sailing down an embankment.

The rail had ripped an opening in the old canvas roof of the convertible, and Bobby's body went flying through it. With a crunch of pain, he was unconscious.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Frankie?" Bobby cried weakly, and he could feel himself trembling.

_Shhh Bobby, he's still here. If he finds us, he'll kill us. Keep your mouth shut! Don't you make a sound, Bobby!_

Goren's body clenched in fear, but he didn't move, he didn't cry or moan. He was barely even breathing.

* * *

_Bobby, Bobby, he's gone. It's okay now. Bobby, wake up, he's gone. He ran out of booze, and he left to get some._

"Frankie? Frankie, it hurts. I'm hurt."

_I know, buddy. I'll… I'm gonna take care of you. I'll take care of you, Bobby. Can you move? Can you crawl out of there?_

At the prompt of his brother's voice, Bobby tried to crawl, but a white-hot pain shot up his spine and everything went black.

* * *

_ Bobby, wake up, man!_

He managed a quiet groan.

_Good, you're all right… Bobby, buddy, we have to get help. Nobody can see us over here. You have to make some noise and get us some help. You see those lights? They're looking for you. You have to get the lights to come this way._

"Help," Bobby whined, but his voice was weak. His suit coat was twisted under him, and his cuffed hands were just above his eye level. He tried wiggling his fingers, and then moving his hands. Bobby stretched out his fingers and found some sticks. He grasped a stick between his fingers and worked it back slowly until it was in his hand. Then he summoned his strength and snapped it. A light bobbled and moved his way. "Help," he called again.

_That's it, that's good, Bobby. You're bringing them closer. Make some noise, Bobby, get them over here. We need to get some help._

As he explored in front of him with his hands again, he touched a bump in the fabric of his coat. It was the wrist light, tucked inside his coat pocket.

_Great idea, Bobby! Get the light, turn it on! You'll have help in no time! You can do it, Bobby, get the light!_

Goren tried and tried to work the light out of his twisted pocket, but it was very hard to do. He closed his eyes to rest.

_No, Bobby, you're so close! You gotta try again, you can do it, buddy, I know you can._

"You do it, Frank," he whispered, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep.

_I would if I could, Bobby, but I can't reach it. You've gotta do it, little brother. You've gotta get us help._

With a weak groan, Bobby opened his eyes and tried again. This time, he got hold of the light. He managed to yank it clear of the coat. With trembling fingers, he pushed the switch. He yelped and groaned in pain, and then lost consciousness again.

"What's that?!" called an officer. He turned and ran toward the source of the light. There, under a heap of broken tree branches, he saw a man. The officer shouted back at the others, "I found him! I've got him! Over here!"

A team of EMTs immobilized him on a backboard with a neckbrace and a strap over his head. They called some officers over to help and a small group of rescue workers carried Goren up the hill and tucked him into an ambulance.

"Frankie?" he whispered, but the team was too busy caring for him to make sense of what he said.

* * *

"Frankie?" Bobby asked. "Where's Frank?"

Alex moved closer and took his hand in hers.

He turned his head slightly and opened his eyes just enough to see her. His face screwed up in confusion. "Eames… where's Frank?"

Alex was stunned. It had to be his concussion. Still, she couldn't tell him the truth, not in his condition. "It's okay, Bobby. You're in a hospital now."

"But where's Frank?"

"He's not here. He said you should relax, okay?"

"Hurts, Eames."

"I know, Bobby. You're gonna be okay, though. You're okay."

* * *

Eames stayed by him that first night, popping pain relievers to treat her own concussion and ignoring the advice of her Captain and her family to go home and rest properly.

The doctors all said it was a miracle he wasn't hurt worse. He was bruised badly, but only suffered a few broken ribs and the concussion. MacKearn had been killed in the accident. When the car had struck the guard rail it had nearly decapitated him. Bobby was clear of any responsibility. The evidence proved that MacKearn had been driving and Bobby's hands had been cuffed together when he was found, proof enough that he had been a hostage.

Bobby's shield was missing. His wallet had been found in what was left of the car. They were still searching for Eames' gun, as well. Alex sighed. Maybe the search for the gun would turn up Goren's shield.

She was worried about him. Every time he woke, he said something about Frank. Alex was starting to wonder if he would ever come back to his senses.

Bobby lay awake in the morning, blankly staring at the door of the room. He ignored the constant thudding pain in his body and simply stared.

"Bobby?" Eames said quietly. He heard her shift and felt her hand against his.

"Frank is dead," Bobby said simply. "There was blood, and… and then Rodgers and…"

"You remember."

"He was killed, Eames."

"Yeah," she said sadly.

"I thought he was with me… when… I couldn't have gotten out of there without him…"

"You turned on the flashlight, they saw you then."

"Frank told me to. I thought… Frank told me…"

Alex sighed. How was she supposed to help Bobby with this? "You have a concussion, Bobby. Don't expect anything to make sense."

"But Eames, I could _feel him_ there! He's my brother! I mean, I know… I know that feeling!"

She sighed again. "Frank always took care of you as a kid, Bobby. Maybe… maybe that was what you needed after the accident."

"It was so real."

Alex frowned and squeezed his hand.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"When are you going to discharge me?" Bobby asked the doctor. "I just want to go home."

"I would like to keep you here for one more day, just to make sure you can get around okay," the doctor said, "but I can see you're determined. Will you have help at home?"

Bobby began to shake his head, but Eames called out from behind him. "Yes." He turned in her direction, gratitude in his eyes. The doctor knew her situation as well, since she'd come through the same ER the same night as his patient. "I might as well," she shrugged. "I'm not cleared to return to work yet, either."

The doctor looked back and forth between the two and then scratched the stubble on his chin with his fingers. "I'll tell you what. You get up and do a lap around the room and then I'll make my decision."

Bobby was already fighting against the pain, trying to get up out of the bed. He gasped and struggled, and Alex set her hands under his arm until he was on his feet. After a moment to take a breath and clear away the worst of the pain, Bobby took a step forward. He walked slowly, stopping several times, but he managed to walk the perimeter of the room with her help. Then he stood by the bed, a head higher than the doctor, and stared at him.

"All right, you win," the doctor conceded. "I'll send the papers up. Go ahead and rest until then. It usually takes a while."

"Thanks," Bobby said quietly. Then he lowered himself into the bedside chair, sucking in a painful breath when he twisted the wrong way.

"Eames, you don't have to stay with me."

She folded her arms and frowned at him. "I was going to offer even before he said anything."

"Well, thanks and all, but you don't have to."

"I know. And I'm staying."

Bobby smiled halfway and then closed his eyes, tilting his head back as far as he could until it was against the backrest of the chair.

"Are you okay? Maybe you should get back in the bed," Alex told him.

He opened his eyes and stared her way. "The next bed I get in will be my own," he said.

* * *

Alex had helped him get dressed, and then helped him undress at his apartment. He was black and blue, and just looking at him was painful. She'd just finished propping an extra pillow up against his side, and with that support, he was finally able to rest on his right side instead of flat on his back.

"Do you need your medicine?" she asked him.

He shook his head. "No." Taking the medicine would involve sitting up again, and he was determined not to go through that again for a while.

Alex looked doubtfully at him. "I think you might need it."

"Don't."

She sighed. "Okay."

"Eames?"

"Yeah?"

"I should have gotten you a bed fixed up."

"Don't worry about it, Bobby."

"There's… a blanket up in the closet. And you can just, you know… look around." She nodded and started to turn to walk away, but he called again. "Eames?"

Alex turned back.

"How are you?"

Her expression softened as she answered him. "I'm okay, Bobby. Just a headache."

"Just, you know… forget about making up a bed. Climb in here, with me."

Alex gave him a crooked smile. "No, Bobby. That's okay. I'll crash on your couch."

"Well, you… you come get me if you, you know, can't find something."

"I will. Good night, Bobby."

"Good night, Eames."

* * *

It wasn't a good night at all. Goren's pain kept him awake and then he would finally get so exhausted he couldn't keep his eyes open. Then he'd sleep until the pain woke him again and the cycle would repeat. By morning, he was hurting and trying to hide his eyes from the sunlight that was creeping into the room.

He was still thinking about his brother. It seemed like anytime he couldn't sleep, he found himself thinking about Frank. He remembered the night of the accident, and that _feeling_. He hadn't had that feeling in a long time. Not since well before Frank died. Not since the night Frank told him about Uncle Mark.

That night, they'd been brothers. That night, they'd talked honestly about things. And that feeling had been there, hanging in the air between them, filling them both. They were brothers. They were connected. Through it all, they were together.

And that's what he had felt after the accident. He'd felt that closeness, Frank's very presence in the air surrounding him. He'd felt safe, knowing his big brother would take care of him.

Bobby turned with a gasp and waited for the pain to subside. He shoved the extra pillow away from his side. It landed on the floor beside the bed. Maybe Eames was right. Maybe his subconscious had found a way to give him what he needed at the time.

Bobby scoffed. After all, it was either that or he had to start believing in ghosts.

After another bout of sleeplessness, Bobby struggled to his feet and shuffled off to the bathroom. As he made his way to the kitchen, he paused to check on Eames, who was sound asleep on his couch.

She had found the blanket, but she had no pillow. Instead, she'd laid down with her head against the arm of the couch. Bobby frowned. That posture couldn't possibly help with her headache. He went back to the bedroom, retrieved a pillow, and brought it to her. Not wanting to wake her, he set it on the coffee table. At least she could use it later.

Bobby started a pot of coffee and found his pain medicine. He took one eagerly, chasing it with a glass of water. He put the glass down and rested his hands against the counter, eyes closed, waiting for the pain to subside.

"Bobby?"

He drew in a breath and turned to look at her. "Hi."

"You okay?"

In answer he frowned. "I just took my pill."

She nodded, though she had a crease in her own forehead.

"Are you okay?"

"If this headache ever goes away," she grumbled and walked past him to find her own medicine.

Bobby reached into the cabinet and handed her a glass.

"Thanks."

"You didn't… you didn't look comfortable on the couch."

"I slept," she said, brushing off his comment. "Look, go get comfortable somewhere and I'll make us breakfast."

"I can do that."

"Bobby," she warned. He lowered his head and it bounced a couple of times. He walked out to the living room. After a moment, he chose the couch. He lowered himself carefully, his left hand gripping the arm.

A few minutes later she brought him a plate with a couple of pieces of peanut butter toast. He propped the plate on his knees and took the cup of coffee she offered him.

"You look tired," she said in between bites of her own toast. "You didn't sleep well?"

He shook his head. "Hard to get comfortable," he explained.

"Well, maybe you can go back to bed later." She leaned forward, just noticing the pillow for the first time. "Where'd this come from?"

"Y-you didn't have one last night."

"Thanks, Bobby." Alex raised one hand and rubbed her temples with her thumb and forefinger.

Bobby put his right arm on her shoulder and gave her a gentle tug. "C'mon," he whispered.

She liked the way his arm felt around her. Alex set her plate on the coffee table while Bobby moved his to the end table. She picked up the pillow and set it on his legs. "This isn't going to hurt you, is it?" she asked.

"I'll tell you if it does," he promised. She laid down slowly, her head in his lap. Bobby kept his right arm tucked over hers and leaned his own head back to rest against the couch.

They sat together comfortably, and before long, both were drifting in and out of sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Are you real?"

_What kinda question is that, Bobby? Of course I'm real._

"But you—you're dead, Frank."

_That's crazy. I'm not dead. Look at me._

"No, Frank! I saw you—your body! On the pavement and I saw you in the morgue and—"

_Bobby,_ his voice was soft as he spoke. _Look at me. I'm right here. I never left you._

He jerked awake with a start, and Eames stirred beneath him. Bobby raised a hand and scrubbed his face with it. Then he looked down at his partner. He could see the edge of the bruise on her face. Most of it was hidden by her hair, but there was some bruising near her temple, just at the top of her ear.

The dream had him worked up, and he tried to get his breathing to slow. He looked down at Eames again. She'd told him what had happened, how he'd left the door ajar and made the place look suspiciously like someone had left in a hurry. He'd come out of nowhere and pistol-whipped her, and she didn't remember a thing until she came to in the ER. Alex said she wasn't sure why he didn't just take her and run instead of waiting for Bobby.

Bobby started to think about that. Why did MacKearn wait for him? What was it he had planned? His head started to ache again, but he couldn't stop thinking. MacKearn had taken his ID and his badge. There had to have been some kind of motive for that. Bobby's badge was still missing.

She sighed and turned slightly, and he winced when her head put pressure on a bruise on his thigh. Bobby looked down on her again. He wasn't sure why she was here, but he was glad for it. Sometimes it seemed like Alex was his only friend.

Nature called, and he had to wake her. "Alex?"

She stirred and opened her eyes. When she saw his face, she sat up.

"Sorry," he whispered. "I gotta, uh…"

Alex moved out of his way and Bobby carefully got to his feet. She stood up with him, supporting him by the arm.

"Sorry," he said again.

Alex shrugged off his apology. She had felt him leaning on her as he stood, and she was glad to be there to help him. She picked up the dirty dishes from their breakfast and took them to the kitchen.

The headache was still there, but it was less pronounced than before. Alex wasn't sure how long she had napped on the couch with Bobby, but it had certainly helped. She tucked the dishes in the dishwasher and poured herself a fresh cup of coffee.

He didn't return for quite a while, and Alex grew worried. She walked down the hall and knocked on his bedroom door. A soft groan invited her in. She opened the door to find the room dark and Bobby lying on his back with his right arm thrown over his eyes.

"You okay?" she asked him.

"My head is killing me," he said.

"Medicine?" she asked him.

"I think it's too soon," he answered with a sigh. She walked in and sat at the edge of his mattress. "Alex? What was he- MacKearn- planning?"

Alex shook her head. Now she understood why he had a headache. "I don't know, Bobby, and you really need to let that go. You're supposed to be resting your brain."

He moved his arm far enough from his eyes for her to see his look of disdain. Alex gave him a grin. She knew better than anyone that there was no way in hell Bobby Goren could keep from thinking. He couldn't even limit his thinking.

Bobby replaced his arm over his eyes and took as deep a breath as he could manage. "He was tall like me," Bobby postulated, "Do you think he was planning to impersonate me?"

Alex shrugged. "I have no idea. Maybe. But why?"

"Maybe we should… do some digging."

"You really think you're up for that?"

Bobby sighed and his mouth turned into a frown. "No, I guess not," he admitted sadly. "I feel terrible."

She climbed up on the mattress and sat beside him with her back against the headboard. Alex let her fingers slip gently into his curly hair, thinking again how lucky he was to be alive, and how lucky she was to have him beside her. "Give it time," she said quietly.

He lifted his arm away from his eyes and held it up to catch her hand. Bobby carefully took another deep breath. He was grateful for her company.

Alex sat in the dark with him, holding his hand, and she could tell he was asleep when he relaxed his fingers and his breathing slowed. . Eames closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wood behind her, trying to work out what MacKearn had been up to.

"Frank," Bobby whispered. "You shouldn't be here."

Alex opened her eyes and glanced down at him. He was muttering in his sleep. She couldn't make out all the words, but she very clearly heard him say his brother's name.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Ross was talking to Detective Winters when his cell phone rang. He frowned at it, excused himself, and went to take the call. "Yes, thank you for informing me."

He ended the call and sighed, pushing the door to his office shut. This would be a difficult decision on a normal day, but now, with Goren and Eames both injured, it was even harder. The Captain scratched his head.

Goren might be able to help. And, as always, time was of the essence. After a heavy sigh, he raised the phone and dialed Eames' number.

She barely heard her phone ringing from her quiet sanctuary in Goren's bedroom. Alex carefully let go his hand and slid away from him. Then she made her way out to the living room, closing Bobby back into the darkness of his bedroom.

She almost reached the phone too late. "Eames," she said quickly.

"Hello, detective. How are you." His inquiry sounded nothing like a question.

"I'm all right, Captain, just a headache that won't quit."

"And Goren?"

"He's struggling. He's trying to get some sleep."

There was a long pause. Ross really hated to do this.

"Sir?" Eames asked, growing impatient with his silence.

He sighed again. "I got a call. Donny Carlson was tagged in an internet post from Indiana. There's a manhunt heating up."

"Well, this is... Bobby can't!"

"I know that Eames, and I'm sorry, but you know Goren will want to know."

"And as soon as he knows, he's gonna be on his way there."

"Well I guess that will be your problem to deal with."

She choked on her reply, barely stopping herself from speaking.

"Look, Eames, I don't want him traveling all over the country in his condition, either, but this is Donny. Not only will he want to know, he may be the only one who can bring him in."

Alex huffed angrily. "What if I don't tell him?" she said.

"Tell me what?" Bobby asked from behind her. He had a hand over one eye, trying to adjust to the brighter light of the living room.

Alex deflated in front of him. Without a word, she handed Bobby the phone.

"Hello?" Bobby said.

"Oh, uh, Goren, hello."

"Captain?" Ross repeated the information about Donny, and Bobby threw a glance at his partner. He took a deep breath, tucking a hand over his ribs. "Okay, well… thank you," Bobby said, a hopeful surge in his tone of voice. "I will, Captain. I'll be careful." Bobby hung up the phone and looked at Eames, astonished.

"Donny's okay," Bobby said, and broke into a grin.

"Bobby, he's the subject of a manhunt. This is dangerous for him."

"Alex, he's my nephew."

"I know."

"I have to help."

"No, Bobby. You have to recuperate."

"Don't tell me what I have to do," Goren said, his voice a low growl.

"I'm not trying to tell you what to do, but you're in no condition to travel right now."

"I can sit on a plane as well as here."

"Wanna bet?" she said, her eyes blazing. "You know how well you fit in a plane."

"I'll go first class."

"And how are you gonna pay for that?!"

"This is Donny, Eames! This is my _family!_"

She was furious with him, but she knew he would react this way. Alex folded her arms in front of her and her face screwed up as her mind raced. "Okay, look. Let's… let's see what we can do from here first. Maybe you won't have to go anywhere."

He was angry, too. Her words took a moment to sink in, and then he managed to nod his head.

"Laptop?" Alex asked.

"Uh… over there," Bobby said, pointing. While she went to retrieve it, he went to the kitchen to take more pain medication. Alex fired it up and logged in. She called the Captain and asked him to email her the link to the website and the information about Donny.

In a moment, she had pulled up the photographs. Bobby was rubbing his temples when he sat down beside her, but his hand fell away when he saw his nephew's picture. "He… he looks good," Bobby said.

Alex studied the photograph, too. Donny was in a group of young people about his age, and his arm was draped over the shoulders of a very pretty girl. He seemed a little more filled out than when he'd escaped Tates, but healthy. "Yeah, he does."

"What does it say?" Bobby asked her. With his head pounding, reading was out of the question.

"A day at the lake," and it has the date. Alex managed to zoom in on a blurry sign in the background. She struggled with her own headache until she managed to read it. "Patoka?"

"Who's the girl?"

"I guess that'll be the first thing we find out. Here," she said, handing him her phone. "You call the lead FBI agent." She went back to her email and gave him the name and number. Bobby introduced himself to Agent Downes, and explained how he could be of help. Downes already had both his and Eames' contact information. "Yeah, I could come out," Bobby said, and Alex took the phone from him without apology. "Hello, Agent? Downes, yes, hi. I'm Alex Eames, Major Case. Yeah. Look, Agent Downes, Goren was just in a car accident. He really shouldn't be working, much less traveling right now."

Bobby glared at her and folded his arms.

"No, Agent, we want to be of help in any way we can, and if it comes to that, well, it comes to that. But we were hoping to assist from a distance. Yes, thank you. Right. We'll stay online." She hung up the phone and turned her attention right back to the computer screen without even looking his way.

After five minutes of silence, Bobby groaned and held his head between his hands. It looked as if he was trying to keep it from flying apart.

"Bobby?" Alex asked, alarmed.

He was seething mad. "It's just this damned headache!" he snapped. "What do you have?"

"A list of first names, and links of who's friends with who. Not much to go on yet." She set the laptop down on the coffee table and turned back to him. "You should go back to bed."

"No."

"Bobby, this is going to take me a while. There's nothing you can do until we have some kind of information or they call us on the phone, okay? Try and rest. Please."

"You didn't have to tell Downes—"

"Like hell I didn't!"

"I noticed you didn't bother to tell him about your concussion."

"I'm in a lot better shape than you are, Bobby."

"Says you."

"Well, you don't see me jumping on a plane, do you? I'm just working it from here, same as you." Bobby was really getting on her nerves. "Goren, please," she said, trying hard to put her anger aside. "I promise I'll keep working on it."

Reluctantly, he got back to his feet and went back to bed.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

He dreamed he had a fistfight with Frank, and ended up twisting the wrong way in the bed. Bobby turned to his side, one hand on his ribs and gasping for breath. When he could move again, he grabbed his alarm clock off the nightstand and threw it hard, across the room. It bounced off the wall and it the closet door before falling to the floor.

In seconds, Alex was there. "Bobby, what happened? Are you all right?!"

"No, I'm not fucking all right! Goddammit!" His little tantrum did nothing but cause him more pain.

"Okay, look. Either lie flat or stand up."

He glared at her.

"Do it, Bobby, and I'll get you some ice."

Finally, he started to move. Alex helped him get flat on his back. He squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lip, trying to deal with the pain. She left and came back a few minutes later with an ice pack. "Here, you put it on. I don't want to hurt you."

He took the pack from her hands and gently eased it over his sore ribs. Bobby raised his eyes to stare at the ceiling. "Did you hear anything yet?" he asked her through tight lips.

"Not yet. But I think I have a lead on the girl." Alex walked over and picked up the alarm clock from the floor. She moved a little too quickly and the blood rushed to her head and pulsed painfully. She stopped and leaned her hand against the wall.

"Alex?" he asked, alarmed.

The moment passed, and she stood up tall again. "Headrush," she explained. She walked back toward him, setting the clock back on the table. "Her name's Mia Walker. She went to school with Donny in Pennsylvania, and then her family moved to Indiana."

"An old friend."

"Yeah. Agent Downes doesn't want us contacting Donny's mother, so I sent the info to him to follow up on." She looked down at Bobby and saw that the look of pain was starting to subside. "Now. What happened in here?"

He rolled his eyes and looked away. "Nothing."

"Bobby…"

"I had a dream, okay? I got in a fight."

"With Frank?" she asked.

He looked over at her in surprise.

"You haven't stopped dreaming about him since the accident, Bobby." Alex leaned over carefully and retrieved the plug for the alarm clock. She held it up where Bobby could see it. "I don't think this is gonna do us much good."

One of the teeth in the plug was bent and torn, the result of being yanked so forcefully from the outlet. A slow grin came across Bobby's face. "Good thing I don't have to work in the morning."

Alex smiled, too.

* * *

Alex was stretched out on his couch again, but this time with a pillow. Bobby walked past her slowly, looking out the window and registering that it was dark out. He saw the laptop still open on the table and wondered how many hours she had put in researching.

Bobby went to the kitchen, took another pill, and made himself a sandwich. He drank down half a glass of water before he decided to do some research of his own. Bobby went back to the living room, retrieved the laptop, and brought it to the kitchen table.

The battery was low, but he thought he had enough to at least find out what Eames had been up to. Her login message popped up. He entered her password quickly and got in. He'd known her password for five years. She'd known his for the entire time they'd worked together. She'd willingly given Bobby hers; she'd seen him typing his. It didn't matter. They often traded off on computers, and it was easier to keep logged in than it was to switch users.

Once the retrieval messages were finished, Bobby was greeted with a surprise: Eames had been looking up Randy MacKearn. The dossier in front of him was a compilation of the work he and Eames had done on the case. Basically, everything Bobby had in his binder was on the computer screen.

Bobby clicked the next tab over and found Eames' email. She had an unread message from Agent Downes. He clicked it open, and found out that according to Donny's mother, Donny and Mia had dated for about four months in their sophomore year of high school, until the girl moved away.

Goren went back to the first screen and looked over the information on MacKearn. He read every word carefully, and found himself going back again and again to the man's geographical history. MacKearn was born in Chicago, but he married a woman from Indiana and moved there with her for several years. Then he had come to New York. He'd had several addresses in New York, and Bobby checked each one against a map of the city. Just as he suspected, one of MacKearn's New York addresses was a block away from his brother Frank.

Bobby massaged his temples and closed his eyes. The flickering light of the screen was competing with the mental fatigue from all the thinking to bring his headache back to its full ferocity. As he sat trying to get some control over the throbbing, the computer beeped and turned itself off. The battery was dead.

He opened his eyes and stared at the black screen. Bobby looked over and saw the cord on the floor by the couch where Eames was sleeping. It was halfway under the coffee table. There was no way that he was going to crawl on the floor with his broken ribs and his concussion and get that cable. With a sigh, he closed the lid on the computer.

Instead of working, his thoughts drifted to Eames. She was sleeping hard, and he wondered how she was feeling. She had been doing so much for him, and in his own pain he kept forgetting that she was hurt, too. Silently, he resolved not to do anything that might disturb her sleep.

Bobby's eyes scanned the kitchen until they fell on the time display on the microwave: 2:45 a.m. He drank down another glass of water and returned to bed.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Alex awoke at dawn, a real sign that she was healing. It was her usual time to wake. On a normal day she would dress and head out for a brisk run before hitting the shower. The headache, though still there, was much better. She ran her fingers through her hair. Her fingers slowed at the edge of the bruising, and she found the scab where her skin had split from the blow. She examined herself carefully with the tips of her fingers, and then decided to check on Bobby.

He was asleep on his back, his left arm hooked and resting palm up beside his face. His right arm was raised even higher on the pillow, fingers curled in complete relaxation.

The dark rings under his eyes seemed to be fading. He was finally resting comfortably. Alex smiled and found the things she would need to take a shower.

* * *

The singing of the pipes woke him. He listened, and he could hear the occasional splash of water as it escaped her hands and hit the floor of the shower. Bobby ignored the throbbing in his skull and thought about Eames.

His body came to full attention as he pictured her in the shower. Bobby reached down and adjusted himself, trying hard to think of something else. Something not so stimulating.

The water stopped, and he moved to his side, hoping the blankets would hide the stiffness in his shorts. He couldn't stop thinking of her. She was only ten feet away, after all, completely naked.

Alex emerged from the bathroom fully dressed. She ran a comb through her hair, taking her time scraping past the bruised area. She saw Bobby had changed position. Alex set the comb on his dresser and went to his side.

"You're awake," she said. How she knew, he would never know.

"Yeah," he whispered, without moving a muscle.

"Need anything?" she asked.

Bobby was quiet as he tried to slow the thoughts racing through his mind. "No," he finally managed to say.

The heat of the shower had increased her pulse, and now her headache was returning. Alex sat down on the edge of his mattress.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, craning his head to look her way.

She sat still and grinned. "Yeah, I'm okay."

Bobby turned to lie on his back again. He was concerned for her now. Without thinking, he reached for her hand.

Alex looked down at their twined hands, then over at the broken clock. Its face was dark. "I wonder what time it is," she said.

Bobby had a spark in his eye as he smiled at her. With her help, he got to his feet. After checking the time, he announced he was taking a bath.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Alex asked, dreading the possibilities.

Bobby carefully scratched the parts of his scalp that weren't tender. "Eames," he warned.

She shrugged. "I'll get it ready for you," she said.

* * *

It was the first time Bobby had really seen his own body since the accident. He stood in front of the mirror, studying the colors in his bruises and counting the abrasions.

"You okay in there?" Alex called from the other side of the door.

"Yeah," he called back, and decided it was time to get into the tub. It was a painful process, and his ribs cried out in protest, but soon he was in the water catching his breath.

"Okay?" Alex asked again. She'd heard the grunts and the arrhythmic splashing.

"I'm in," he called back. Bobby shoved the pain aside and ran the washcloth along his skin. He grabbed an old cup and used it to pour water over his head.

After washing his hair, he was ready to get out. The heat of the water had increased his body temperature, and it seemed every part of him was throbbing with pain. He grabbed the sides of the tub with slippery hands and tried to push himself up. The pain was overwhelming and he fell back into the water with a splash. A dizzy wave passed over him and he fought to remain conscious.

"Bobby?!" Alex cried.

It took him a moment to be able to speak, and by then she was already coming in. "I need some help," he said, breathless.

Alex tried to avert her eyes as she helped lift him to his feet. He steadied himself with a hand against the wall and she held up a towel for him, which he quickly wrapped around his waist. Then Alex let him lean against her as he stepped over the rim of the tub.

She looked up into his eyes. "You all right?"

Bobby nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

Satisfied with his answer, she left him to dry himself and attempt to get dressed. He was still occupied when the doorbell rang. Alex checked the peephole and saw Captain Ross. She opened the door.

"Good morning, Eames," he said politely.

"Hi, Captain," she said. He closed the door gently and followed her inside.

"You're looking well," Ross said.

"I'm a little better," she said with a touch of a smile.

"And Goren?"

"He's…" She wasn't sure what to tell him. That he'd just had a bath and couldn't get out of the tub? That he had finally gotten some sleep? "He's hanging in there." She glanced back towards the bedroom. "Let me go check on him," she said. "I'll tell him you're here."

Ross nodded and dropped into a chair while he waited for her to return.

She knocked as she entered the bedroom. "Bobby? The Captain is here."

Goren was sitting on the side of his bed, one hand pressed against his sore ribs. "The Captain? Why?"

"I don't know, he just came by."

Goren had managed to put on fresh boxers, but nothing else. "Help me?" he asked her.

She nodded and found a loose pair of sweats he could wear. She helped him pull them on and watched as he painfully pulled a clean t-shirt over his head. Then she let him lean on her as he got back to his feet.

She held his door open and he made his way past her and down the hall.

Ross gave him a smile and stood up, ready to help him if need be. "Goren," he greeted him cheerfully.

"Hello…" Bobby lowered himself onto the couch. "Captain."

Ross praised him for his improvement, and sat back down in the chair. "I have something for you," he told Goren. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small leather foldover. He handed it to his detective.

Goren smiled. "My shield!" He flipped the leather flap and the gold glinted in the light of the room. "Thank you."

"Where did they find it?"

"Thanks to a diligent mother…" Ross explained with a frown. "She noticed her ten-year-old son seemed to have something stashed in a hole in the back yard. She found Goren's badge and your gun out there, Eames. Fortunately the kid hadn't worked up the nerve to try and fire the gun yet."

"Thank God," Eames breathed.

"It's getting overhauled. I'll have it waiting for you when you return to duty," Ross told her.

"Thank you, sir."

"Any news on Donny?" Ross asked.

"Not yet," Alex said. She had only managed to plug the computer in while Goren was in the bathtub. She hadn't seen the email yet.

"We have a name for his contact in Indiana," Bobby said. "An ex-girlfriend. Mia Walker. Agent Downes said Donny wasn't staying with her, but according to her mother they've been going out every night for about three weeks."

Alex looked over at him, surprised.

Bobby shrugged. "I couldn't sleep last night," he explained.

Ross checked his watch. "Well, I have to get back. Take care of yourselves." He offered Goren a quick handshake and Eames walked him to the door. He gave her a handshake, as well.

Both Bobby and Alex thanked him as he left.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"You were researching MacKearn," Bobby said to Alex over lunch.

"Yeah. I want to know why he took you."

"He was a neighbor of Frank's."

"Oh?" Alex asked, surprised.

"Yeah, I recognized the address. He lived a couple blocks away from my brother."

"You think they knew each other?"

Bobby gave a short, painful shrug. "Maybe."

"He lived in Indiana briefly, as well."

"You think he has a connection to the Walkers?" Bobby asked.

"It's not likely, but… stranger things have happened."

Bobby pushed his plate away and sat back slowly, pressing a hand against his broken ribs.

"Go lie down a while," Alex said. "I'll clean up."

"I'm not tired," Bobby protested.

"But you're hurt. You've been sitting hunched over for an hour now. Go lie down. Stretch out."

"You've been popping pills like candy," he told her.

"Just enough to keep the headache at bay," she said to him. "I'm being cautious about it."

"Leave the dishes," he told her. "You need to rest, too." Bobby rubbed his fingers against his aching head.

"You have a cleaning lady?"

"Sure," he lied. Alex frowned at him. "Logan will do it. I just have to call him."

Alex laughed. "That'll be the day." She got to her feet and gathered up the dishes. After a few minutes, Bobby got to his feet and walked back down the hall.

Alone in the room, Alex paused in her work. She leaned one hand against the counter and put the other hand against her forehead. Her headache had been getting worse all day. She couldn't show her weakness to Bobby. He was the one who was in need, and Alex was the only one he'd let help him.

She grabbed her pain reliever and checked the time. Alex frowned. It would be another two hours before she could take another one. She forced herself to finish cleaning up the kitchen and then went back to Bobby's room.

He was lying on his side, apparently asleep.

Alex sank onto the mattress beside him. Again, she massaged her aching head.

"Lie down," he whispered.

Alex turned her head and found him peering at her through half closed eyes.

"You're supposed to be resting your brain," he said quietly, and reached one hand out to touch her arm.

A small smile crossed her lips and Alex slowly worked her way closer to him. She laid down beside him, and kept a hand over her eyes. Her other hand rested on the mattress between them. Bobby let his hand settle over hers.

"I wanted to check the email again," she said.

"Shhh… It will still be waiting for you later." He suppressed a cough.

Alex's hand came down from its perch on her forehead and covered his. "That's new," she said.

"I'm okay," he whispered.

Alex studied him with her eyes. Relaxed beside her, he had allowed his eyes to close. She caressed his hand with her fingers and soon, she was asleep.

* * *

Alex had only just risen from the nap when her phone rang. "Hello?" she said into the phone.

"Eames. How are you?"

She ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm okay, Captain."

Ross sighed. She didn't sound as well as she'd been in the morning. He hated to give her the information, because he knew what it would mean for his two injured detectives. "Something has come up in the investigation of MacKearn."

"Yeah?"

Ross frowned. "He had a plane ticket waiting for him in Albany."

"That's where he was taking Bobby?"

Ross shrugged, even though she couldn't see it. "We think so. Or maybe he was going to dump Goren on the way there."

"Why not leave him behind with me?"

"The ticket was to Louisville, Kentucky."

Alex rubbed her head. "What?"

"Louisville is right next to the Indiana border."

"You think this has something to do with Donny?"

"So does Agent Downes," Ross told her. "He said he sent you an email, but he never heard back."

"Yeah, we… uh, I've been asleep."

"I'm sorry, Eames."

"I'm sorry, Captain, maybe it's the concussion, but this isn't coming together for me."

"Downes thinks MacKearn was planning to steal Goren's identity. And come after Donny."

Alex sighed. She knew exactly what Bobby would want… would insist… on doing. "I'll book us a flight," she said with a sigh.

"Eames, you don't have to. I can send Winters."

"Captain, you know Bobby won't stay behind once he finds out about this. And I won't let him go alone."

"Fly into Louisville. There's an FBI field office there."

"Yes, Captain." Alex ended the call and checked the time. It was almost 7 p.m. After a dose of medicine, she fired up the laptop.

"I'm hungry," Bobby said, dragging his feet as he came down the hall. He stopped when he saw Alex on the couch with the laptop. "What are you doing?"

"We're flying to Louisville in the morning."

He raised an eyebrow, and she filled him in. "And there's more bad news," Alex continued. "First class was sold out."

The hopeful look on his face fell. Bobby coughed gently and then went to the kitchen to take his pain pill.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

By the time they boarded the plane, Bobby was scowling with pain. He tucked into the window seat and grunted as he got situated. Alex scooted into the middle seat beside him and gave him a once-over.

Bobby had his eyes screwed shut and his head leaning against the wall of the plane. He reached up a hand and slapped the window shade down. At least he could make it darker.

Alex checked the time on his watch and sighed. It was too early for his medication. She gave the man settling into the aisle seat a polite greeting and folded her arms.

The force as the plane took off elicited a quiet groan from Bobby. The man on Alex's left leaned forward and glanced at him. "Is he all right?"

Alex nodded. "He was recently in a car accident," she explained. The man nodded and went back to reading his magazine.

She reached her hand over and touched Bobby's hand. To her surprise, he linked his fingers with hers and held on. There was some turbulence until they reached their cruising altitude, causing Goren to sigh and hold his head with his other hand.

The bumpy ride made Alex feel a little queasy, but she swallowed hard and overcame it. She looked over at Bobby, who was now raking his fingers through his hair.

"All right?" she asked him.

With a sad roll of his eyes, he went back to leaning his head against the wall of the plane. He coughed softly and then loosened his fingers from hers.

Alex took her hand back and gave him one last look before turning her attention to other things. He wasn't in the mood to talk, and she couldn't blame him. Alex withdrew a magazine from the seat pocket in front of her and began to read.

She couldn't do it for long. Reading small text, combined with the motion of the airplane brought back the nauseous feeling. She tucked the magazine away and decided to take a lesson from Goren. Alex closed her eyes and rested her head against the seat.

She jolted awake from her sleep. Alex realized that in booking the flight, she hadn't allowed enough time for them to make their connection. She snatched the airline magazine from the seat pocket and turned to the page with the airport maps. Alex dug her boarding pass out of her purse and checked the gate number. Sure enough, it was a long way away from the gate they were scheduled to arrive in.

Alex sighed. She decided the only thing she could do was ask for assistance from the crew. There was no way Bobby would be able to rush through a crowded airport.

The flight attendant came by, and Alex explained her predicament. The woman assured her that she could meet the agent at the arrival gate and they would be taken care of.

* * *

The landing was unpleasant for both of them. They waited patiently while the long line of passengers stood and retrieved bags from the overhead bins. Finally, the line cleared. Alex stood and tried to help Bobby to his feet.

He insisted on getting their bags from the overhead compartment. She could see that he had to hold his breath to be able to do it. Finally, they walked out of the plane and into the jetway.

Bobby slowed considerably in the jetway.

"Goren? You all right?" Alex called back.

He had a sick look on his face, and she wondered if this was some kind of a claustrophobic attack. Walking back, she took his rolling case from him. "Here. Let me get that," she said. "C'mon."

They finally reached the airport gate, and soon the passenger cart came to pick them up. Bobby dug out his wallet and handed it to Eames, who tipped the driver. Satisfied that they would make their connection, Eames bought them a sandwich to share and handed Bobby his bottle of pills.

"Well," Alex told him, "With any luck we'll be there in two hours."

He nodded.

She would have reminded him how she warned him against this trip, but truthfully, she felt sorry for him. It seemed the trip was even harder than Bobby had expected.

"Did you get some sleep?"

"Some," he grunted, and another cough bubbled up inside him.

"I don't like the sound of that," Alex said.

He was too busy rubbing his sore side to make any further comment.

Luck played a hand, and they were allowed to trade up to first class. Bobby settled into the more comfortable chair and gave Eames a weak smile. She gave his hand a squeeze and settled into her own seat. This time, Alex was looking forward to a nap.

* * *

"Vince Downes," the Agent said, offering each of them his hand. "I'm uh, sorry to drag you down here in your condition."

"It's fine," Bobby grunted, but his words were in contrast to the expression on his face.

"I'll take you to the field office and then you can get settled in somewhere. We can head up to Patoka whenever you're ready."

"Uh, Agent Downes?" Alex asked.

"Vince," he said.

"How far is it to Patoka?"

"About two hours by car."

"Okay."

The Agent led them to a Ford Taurus. It was a comfortable car by anyone's standards, but for Bobby, it was going to be uncomfortable. Alex gave her partner the front seat. Downes politely held the doors for both of his guests as they got in.

He navigated them easily through the city traffic. It was busy, but nothing like New York. He swiped his badge to gain admittance to the parking structure and soon they were in his office.

There had been reports of sightings of Donny Carlson throughout the Patoka area. The local police were following up on them, but the group Donny was believed to be hanging with was very tight-lipped. They were young college kids, and very bright. Even the tagged picture of Donny taken at the lake had suddenly disappeared from the website.

"So…" Goren said, thinking aloud. "Mia didn't know. She didn't know he was on the run."

"If she's the one who posted the picture," Downes said. "We had a look at her laptop, and it doesn't look like the picture was posted from there. She didn't even have a copy on her computer."

Bobby coughed, this time hard enough to burn red from the pain. "One of the others, then," he sputtered, barely recovering from it.

"Have you found a connection between him and the others? Or is it only through Mia?"

"We haven't pegged any other connections yet," Downes said. "Look, you're tired. Let me get you to a hotel, and we can talk on the trip tomorrow morning."

* * *

They checked in at the hotel, in connected rooms. Bobby stretched out on the bed and groaned.

"What can I get you?" Eames asked him.

"I'd kill for an ice pack," he said, but he knew there wasn't one. "We have to rent a car. I can't do two hours in that Taurus."

She nodded. "I'll go downstairs, get the concierge to fix us up."

"Get an SUV," Bobby said. "Or a van."

"All right." She gathered her room key and her purse and headed downstairs, leaving Bobby coughing quietly and flipping channels on the television.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Alex left the door open between the two rooms so she could help him if he needed it. She was feeling better. She stayed up watching tv and then went next door to check on Bobby.

He was coughing in his sleep. Alex turned off his television and sat down on the bed beside him. He woke enough to roll to his side, and then he closed his eyes again. He didn't even notice she was there. Before long, he was out again.

Alex ran her fingers through his hair and wondered what was happening between them. Last week, they'd been coworkers, partners. Friends, yes, but something was different now.

He'd held her hand on the plane.

They'd napped together, on the same bed.

She'd seen him naked.

Alex let her fingers comb through his curls and tried to gently work out the tangles when they snagged. Last week, she wouldn't have dared to touch him, even in his sleep.

And yes, she was just helping him, taking care of him, but something had changed in Bobby too. Last week he wouldn't have let her get so close.

He coughed weakly and she let go of his hair. "Good night, Bobby," she whispered, before returning to her own room.

* * *

"You should get that checked," Alex told him.

Bobby frowned and walked past her, waving her off with one hand.

"Goren, that could be something serious!"

"I'm fine, Eames," he said, and kept walking. She followed him down the hall to the elevators.

Alex's breath was coming faster. His cough was worse, and she wanted him to see a doctor. But she knew if she badgered him about it, he would never go. "I'm worried about you," she said softly.

They were alone in the elevator car. Bobby raised his eyes from their focal point on his shoes and met her gaze. "I know," he said quietly. "I'm okay, Eames."

"If it gets worse—"

"If it gets worse, I'll go."

"Okay."

"Okay." The doors slid open and Bobby held them that way until she stepped out into the lobby.

* * *

Although it was much more comfortable that an airplane seat, or even a Taurus, two hours in a vehicle made Goren hurt. As Agent Downes drove along the highway, Bobby gradually backed away from the conversation and grew silent.

"If you don't mind my asking, how did you get hurt?" Downes inquired.

"MacKearn," Alex explained. "He clocked me and then waited for Bobby. We think he was planning to steal Bobby's identity."

Downes' forehead creased as he put the pieces together. "To get to Donny…" he muttered.

Bobby turned his head and regarded the agent again. "Yeah, but why? I don't have enough," Bobby coughed, "to understand his motive."

"What do you have?" Downes asked.

"He lived a couple of blocks away from my brother, Donny's father."

"Could be anything," Alex said. "Frank was an addict, a gambler… he might have been in debt to MacKearn…"

"I understand now why you came. To protect Donny."

"MacKearn is dead," Alex interjected.

"Yeah, but he may not have been acting alone," Goren said, and Alex raised an eyebrow. This was the first she'd heard of this new theory. She couldn't ask him to elaborate. Bobby fell into a coughing fit that left him tight-lipped and pale.

They made a pit stop, and Bobby bought a map and some ibuprophin. He popped four of them as he studied the map.

"What are you taking that stuff for?" she asked him.

"I… I uh… I left my pills at the hotel," he admitted.

"Oh, Bobby!" Alex's heart went out to him.

"I-I'll be fine, Eames. It's okay."

Downes returned, and Goren stood up tall. "How far is it to Schnellville, Vince?"

"Oh, uh, not far. You need something over there?"

"That's the last known residence of Florence MacKearn."

"His ex-wife?" Alex asked, and Goren nodded.

"Let's go," Downes said, and they all climbed into the rental.

* * *

"We didn't part on good terms," Flo said. "Randy was… I don't know, it seemed like he was starting to lose it, you know? He had these crazy ideas, and he just thought I would jump for joy and dive in deep and I just couldn't do it."

"He was upset, when you didn't join in on his schemes?"

"Very." The woman nodded and went back to dusting the little porcelain birds on her windowsill. She held up one for the detectives to see. It was a cardinal, and when she turned it, it was obvious that it had been shattered and glued back together. "This is it," Flo said sadly. "This is the one that broke me." She handed it to Downes, who turned the figure over in his hands as she spoke. "He wanted me to cash in my retirement and blow it on a trip to Jamaica. I told him no, and…" she almost managed a laugh, but not quite. "He started to scream at me… told me how I was his wife and I was supposed to support him and his dreams. He grabbed this bird and threw it, and then he walked out."

"And you decided to divorce him," Alex said.

MacKearn nodded. "I got the paperwork the next day."

"You never spoke to him afterwards?" Downes asked.

"We spoke. The first year, you know, we still had to do taxes together. And then he… he was mad at first, you know? And I guess that's when he moved to New York. I didn't know where he was, and then he called me out of the blue. I remember it was Valentine's day. He cried on the phone, asked me to take him back. I think he'd been drinking."

"Did he ever mention any friends in the city?"

"No, I don't recall."

"When Randy died," Alex said quietly, "he had a plane ticket for Louisville. Did you know he was coming?"

She nodded. "He called me about three weeks ago. He said he knew better than to ask me back into his life, but he said he needed help. He needed a place to stay. He promised he wouldn't bother me, that he'd stay out of my way." She took the redbird back from Agent Downes and teared up as she set it back on the windowsill. "I was looking forward to seeing him. He sounded… good, and… and it's been lonely."

They hammered through a few more questions as sensitively as they could, and then went back to the car. Goren swallowed two more ibuprophin.

"He was planning to come here," Alex said.

"He knew about Donny," Bobby added.

Downes was adjusting the seat. "The question is, did Donny know about him?"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

They took a break at the county Sheriff's office. Agent Downes pulled up the dossiers they'd developed on each of the kids in Donny's known circle of friends. Bobby and Alex read over them while Downes was briefed by the Sheriff and the lead detective from the local PD.

Alex was really doing well. She was still tired, but the headache had moved from the forefront of her mind and she was able to read without any ill effects.

Bobby read as long as he could, then sat back to listen while Alex read them aloud. Goren committed every detail to memory. Most of them were clean-cut kids. Two of the boys had clean records, but investigation had turned up a couple of minor infractions that had been swept under the rug.

Harley Burgess had fallen into drugs briefly in high school. A trip to the jailhouse had scared him straight, and as far as anyone could tell, he had never gone back to it.

Chuck Canter had been in a few fistfights, but somehow had never been arrested for it.

"These kids… they're from here?" Bobby asked.

Alex referred to the computer screen. "Harley has lived here all his life… so has Chuck."

"Any relatives in New York?"

"No… but Chuck has a relative here. Florence MacKearn."

Bobby opened one eye and stared at her.

"She's his second cousin, but it looks like maybe they're close."

Agent Downes came in again, and Goren stifled another cough. "Every lead has run dry, and his friends aren't talking."

"I want to meet them," Bobby said.

* * *

They spent the bulk of the afternoon interviewing each one of Donny's friends. By evening, Bobby was almost spent. He coughed as he got out of the car in front of Mia's house.

Alex's hand was on his arm. "You've had enough," she told him.

"I'm all right," he said.

Her hand went to rest against his cheek and his neck. "Bobby, you're hot! Something's wrong. You need to go to a hospital."

"One more," he said with a level stare. "Let me interview her."

Alex frowned at him.

"Look, we're already here. What's another half hour, huh?"

Alex pursed her lips together and frowned. At first, all three of them tried to talk to her, but it wasn't working. Bobby suggested they leave him alone with Mia for a few minutes. Downes excused himself to take a phone call, and Alex convinced Mia's mother to walk out with her.

"I don't know where he is," Mia announced, upset. "I mean, everybody keeps asking me, and I don't know. I haven't even seen him since last week."

Bobby coughed politely. "That must be hard. I mean, I know you care about him. You could see it in that picture, you know? There was like a… connection between you."

"Donny has always been special to me."

"And you to him, I could see it in the photograph."

"It killed me when we had to move. I cried for weeks."

"But Donny, he wrote to you?"

"He emailed. When he could."

"It must have been hard when he went to jail."

"I didn't know about that."

"Yeah, but his emails, they stopped."

"Yeah."

"You probably thought he'd… moved on… maybe found someone else."

She nodded. Mia sat on the couch and hugged her knees to her chest.

"Mia," Bobby said, leaning forward and looking around to be sure no one else could hear him. "I don't know if they told you this, but I'm…. I'm Donny's uncle. My brother Frank, that's his Dad."

She shook her head. "That's some kind of trick. Y-you're lying."

"N-no, I'm not." Painfully, Bobby retrieved his wallet. He showed her his ID, and a picture of Donny. It was faded and creased. It had been the picture that had belonged to Frank.

"You could have just stuck that in there."

"Try and pull it out," Bobby told her.

She struggled to free the photograph from the plastic, but it was stuck. Bobby continued to talk while she worked at it. "When you carry a picture around in a sleeve like that, the longer it's in there, it's exposed to heat. Some of the ink from the print will get attached to the plastic. It doesn't happen right away. It takes a few months of heat, and pressure…"

She gave up on the picture and looked at Goren as she handed his wallet back. She was thinking maybe he wasn't lying. Bobby flipped through the photographs in his wallet again. He found the one of him and Frank as boys. He showed it to her. "This is me and my brother when we were kids." He smiled sadly. "It's the only picture I have of Frank." He flipped the picture over and found one of his mother. "And this is Donny's grandmother. I don't suppose you ever saw any pictures of her? Maybe when he was in Pennsylvania?"

She shook her head. "He never talked about anyone but his Mom and sometimes his Dad. He said his Dad had a drug problem, and his Mom wouldn't let him talk to him much. He said his grandmother was supposed to be, I don't know, crazy or something."

Bobby nodded and coughed again. "Yeah, that's right," he told the girl. "Look, Mia, I haven't seen Donny in over a year." Goren withdrew a business card and scrawled his cell phone number on the back of it. "This is my cell number, my personal phone. If you can get word to him, you know, somehow… I'd like to talk to him."

"I don't know where he is."

"Y-you said that. Just, you know, if there's any way to… get the message to him. He can call anytime, day or night."

They wrapped it up and piled into the car, where Goren succumbed to a coughing fit. Agent Downes drove them to the closest hospital, in English, Indiana.

Bobby was waiting in the chair. His head was tilted up and resting against the wall of the ER. He dozed off and on, knowing Alex would wake him when it was his turn.

It took over an hour before they called his name. Alex let him lean on her and they walked through the hall to a curtained off exam area. The attendant asked Bobby about his symptoms and instructed him to sit on the bed. He took his vitals and told him a doctor would be with him soon.

Goren leaned back and began to drift in and out again while Alex sat with folded arms, worrying. He coughed a few times, and each cough seemed to bring him nothing but pain.

His phone rang, and his eyes flew open. He and Alex looked at each other. "Hello?" Bobby said, and a cough overcame him.

"Uncle Bobby?"

He threw Alex a knowing look as he spoke again. "Hello, Donny, I'm glad you called." Eames pulled out her own phone and sent a text to Downes.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"I thought you were dead," the boy said.

Bobby closed his eyes, remembering the last time he'd seen Donny in Tates. "No, my partner, uh, she got me out."

"That's good… I had to get out, Uncle Bobby. I thought they killed you, and I knew if they figured out who you were that I'd be next."

"I know, I know," Bobby said, his voice soft with compassion. He didn't quite manage to stifle a cough.

"I know you're probably tracing this, but it's not gonna work. You won't find me."

"I just wanted to talk to you, Donny. Donny, did you know that…your father died?"

"What?"

"Last spring. It… it's a long story, one I'd like to tell you in person."

"You're tricking me."

"No, Donny, I'm sorry I'm not. Frank is dead."

The boy's words came faster. "You're just trying to bring me in. I bet you've traced the call by now, too. I'm—I've gotta go."

"Donny, please," Bobby pleaded. "Call me again?"

He was answered by silence as the connection failed. Bobby finally allowed the cough he'd been suppressing to escape. It hurt terribly, and his fingers turned white as he squeezed the phone.

Alex stood by with a frown and waited for him to recover. Soon Agent Downes was with them, too.

"He was calling from the edge of a dead zone in the State Park. Deputies found tread marks from a dirt bike. Smart kid."

Bobby hoped Donny was smart enough to evade them a little while longer. The last thing he wanted was for Donny to end up in a shootout. He wanted to be the one to bring Donny in. Goren sat up, rubbed his eyes, and got to his feet.

"Where are you going?" Alex asked, hoping he would say the bathroom.

"I've gotta go out there, find Donny." He paused for a cough and bit back the pain.

Alex stood in his way. "You've got to see a doctor."

"Eames, you know this is as close as anybody's come—I have to go out there!"

"Downes won't drive you," she said, throwing a look of warning the FBI agent's way.

"Then I'll commandeer a vehicle," was Bobby's quick comeback. He was already walking around her and out of the ER. She and Downes chased after him, still trying to talk some sense into him.

"The Sheriff's men can handle it, Detective Goren," Downes said. "You have to trust them."

"No," Bobby said simply. "This is family."

* * *

The trail of the motorcycle faded quickly in the dry ground of the woods. Bobby studied a map of the park, and found that there were several places where he could have driven back out and connected to a state road or something. Donny was gone again.

Goren leaned against a tree trunk and coughed hard. There were tears in his eyes when it was over, and he felt lightheaded. Alex was on his arm.

"You've got to go to the hospital," she told him.

"Mia," he said. "I need to talk to Mia."

"Goren!" Alex was starting to get angry now.

Bobby was angry, too. "Look, Eames, I just," he coughed, "I just need to breathe deeper. And to do that, I need my pain medication."

"Well it's in Louisville."

He held up his hands. "So I'll get it when we get back, and I'll be fine."

Alex paused and rooted through her purse. It wasn't the same as what they'd prescribed for him, but she still had two pills left of her own pain medication. "Here," she said, handing him the orange bottle. "But if that doesn't help…"

Bobby swallowed a pill dry. "Mia Walker," he said, and marched back to the rental car.

Downes was busy with the Sheriff's men, so Eames procured the keys and slid into the drivers' seat. The Agent would catch a ride back with someone.

It was already dark, and Bobby pounded on the door with his head down. Mia opened it.

"Is your Mom here?" Alex asked.

"No, she went to the store." Bobby walked around the girl and stood in the middle of the living room. Mia stepped aside and allowed Alex to enter, as well.

"He called me," Bobby said. "Thank you."

"But you didn't find him," Mia said, her eyes sparkling with pride.

"No," Bobby rubbed the back of his neck. "Donny was very smart. Even with the phone trace, he got away."

"You were trying to trick him."

"No. He's my nephew, and I care about him. But, yes, I want to catch him. Better me than one of those other cops out there. One of those other cops, Mia? They might believe the rumors."

"Rumors?"

"Did Donny ever get to tell you about Tates?" Her gaze dropped, and Bobby stepped closer to her. "They thought he was bipolar. They put him on meds, and he went to isolation."

"Yeah, well the people at Tates were corrupt. They were killing people!"

"But those cops out there? The ones looking for Donny? That's all they've got to go on. What's written down on paper. I know Donny's not crazy. I met him. I've talked to him."

"What will they do?" She asked, and her voice hitched as she tried not to cry.

"It's impossible to say," Alex said. "If they find him, they'll secure a perimeter around him. Someone will take the lead and try to talk to him, to get him to turn himself in. But you know, they'll all have their weapons ready. And if he says anything crazy, or if they think he's armed—"

"Donny doesn't have a gun!"

"Doesn't matter," Bobby said. "If even one of those officers thinks he does, he could be in for it." Bobby shrugged. "It's not malicious. Those officers, their job is to bring him in… and to protect each other when they do." He coughed but then managed a deep breath.

"He can get away. He did it before."

Bobby shook his head. "It's only a matter of time, Mia. A new place, a new set of officers… maybe I won't be around then to keep him safe."

"What do you want me to do?" She asked through her tears.

"Get him to call me again." Bobby scratched the stubble at his chin. "Donny's gonna make up his own mind. But if he decides to turn himself in, I want him to turn himself in to me. I can keep him safe. I can help him get his life back."

Alex stepped closer, her voice full of compassion. "You love Donny, Mia. Until he gets this resolved, you can never have a life with him."

* * *

Finally, they were in the SUV headed back to Louisville. Goren insisted on getting his medicine rather than going back to the ER he'd walked out of and trying to explain that away.

So Alex drove for two hours in the darkness while Goren slept with his head against the window. Instead of being angry with him, instead of dreading the long drive back in the morning, she decided to look at the positives. At least he was sleeping. At least her headache seemed to be gone for good. At least he'd spoken with his nephew.

At the hotel, she helped him get out of his clothes and dropped down to lay beside him. She was bone-tired. As she turned to her side and his hand settled over hers, she wondered again what was happening between them.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"He's too scared, Frank, he doesn't trust me. Hell, he doesn't even know me."

_So get to know him._

"How am supposed to do that? It's up to him to call me. I don't know where he's hiding."

_He needs you, Bobby._

_ "_Yeah, like he needed me at Tates? He got himself out of that one, all right."

_He's just a kid, Bobby. He's scared. He doesn't know what to do. He doesn't know who he can trust. I can't help him. You're all he's got, Bobby._

"Bobby? Bobby, wake up." Alex's voice cut through the delusion and he awoke with a jolt. Goren winced and tried to get his bearings. "You were dreaming again."

Bobby sighed and pressed the heel of his hand against one eye. He rubbed it hard and dropped his hand away. He looked at Alex. "Frank," he said, and followed it with a cough.

"I know," she said. "I could tell you were talking to him. About Donny."

Bobby nodded and rolled to his side to face her. "He kept telling me I'm all he's got."

"He still has his mother," Alex said.

"Yeah, but to help him with this… legal mess…"

Alex reached out and allowed her hand to slide down his arm. "Shhh. It was just a dream, anyway." Her hand slipped up to the place where his neck met his cheek. "You're hot," she said. "I think you have a fever."

Bobby's lungs spasmed again and when he finally looked over at her again, there were tears in his eyes.

Alex left and returned with his pills and a glass of water. "Maybe you were right about this," she told him. "You didn't cough as much after you took the last dose."

He sat up and took the medicine. Alex set the bottle and glass on the dresser and returned to the bed. She slid in beside him. Bobby stared at her. The backs of his fingers drifted across her cheek.

Alex was a bundle of nerves. He was still staring. He'd never looked at her like that. She reached up and took his wandering hand into her own. "What are we doing?" she asked him, never letting go of his hand.

Bobby was unable to answer thanks to another coughing fit. He rolled onto his back when it was over.

"I'm still worried about you."

"It's the blankets," he said. "I'm just hot from the blankets." He coughed weakly and after a while, fell back asleep.

* * *

This time, they checked out of the hotel. The drive back to Patoka was quiet. Bobby slept, and coughed, and watched the trees pass the window in a blur.

They met up with Agent Downes in the town of English. He was growing concerned for Goren, too. He offered to keep them apprised by phone, but again, Bobby said no. Downes was going to pay another visit to the males in Donny's circle of friends. He wanted to find out where Donny got the dirt bike.

Alex was preparing to tag along with him when Bobby's fingers touched her arm.

"Mia," he told her.

"Again? What do you think you're going to get out of her this time?"

"He won't call again," Bobby said. "He knows we traced it. He doesn't trust me. Mia's the only one we know can get a message to him."

She went back to inform Downes of their plan. By the time she got back, Bobby was already in the front seat.

Mia's mother let them in and then hurried off to work. Mia came in slowly from the den, tugging at the collar of her shirt. There was a red mark on her neck that she was trying to cover up. Alex glanced over at Bobby. He'd seen it, too.

Bobby greeted her and stammered something about forgotten questions. He started down the hall toward the den. She didn't run after him or try to stop him.

The den was an old bedroom that had been converted. The windows had been changed over to French doors, and they opened out to a cobblestone patio. Behind the house was an expanse of green grass, at the edge of which was a shed. Goren looked out the window at the shed.

"He's been staying here, then?" Bobby asked.

"Not all the time," Mia said.

"But last night he did," Alex chimed in.

Mia blushed and tugged on her collar again.

Bobby opened the back door and stepped out onto the patio. Beside the shed, he could barely make out a single, skinny tire mark. "He stays in the shed?"

"He's not there."

"No, not now," Bobby told her, but he walked across the grass anyway, the two women trailing behind. The shed was locked, so Bobby peeked in the window. There was a pallet on the floor, the blankets mussed. There were a few items of food—the kind you wouldn't have to cook. He frowned and turned back to the young girl.

"This is the kind of life you wanna have with him?" he asked her.

"Of course not."

"My partner told you last night. Unless he comes in and clears his name, he'll never be able to put this behind him." Bobby coughed, then. "You gonna start a family like this? Raise kids by yourself?"

"Donny doesn't want kids," Mia said looking defiantly at Goren. "He said his genes are bad." She glared at Goren. "He won't bring a child into the world to suffer with a mental illness or as an addict."

Bobby glanced over at Alex. Donny and he had more than looks in common. "I need to see him," he pleaded with her. "Just, look… I'll wait for him here. By myself."

Alex rolled her eyes and gave him a look of exasperation.

"That's funny, 'cause that's what he said he wanted you to do." Both detectives gaped at her. "By yourself. And no phones, or wires, or anything else." The girl folded her arms and waited for them to respond.

Alex walked over to Bobby. They turned away from Mia and spoke in hushed tones. Goren tried to stifle his cough. "You can't do this," Eames said. He raised his eyes to meet hers. "How am I supposed to have your back if you do this?"

"He's my nephew," Bobby said. "It's not dangerous."

"You don't know that. You can't know that. What if he really is bipolar? If he's manic right now, you don't know what he might do."

"If he's manic, I can handle him," Bobby said quietly, a flash of anger in his eyes.

Eames had no response. Bobby, thanks to his mother, was adept at talking to the mentally ill. He could dance gingerly around a raving conversation and put the person at ease. "No phone, Bobby?" she said. "You're sick. What if you get worse?"

"He's my nephew, Eames. He's family."

She sighed and walked away, and Bobby turned to Mia again. "Okay," he said. "I just have to leave my things in the car." He walked with Eames around to the front of the house.

Bobby put his phone on the dash where the young girl could see it. To Eames' dismay, he also removed his weapon and left it on the seat.

"I'm coming back for you tonight," she told him. "Whether Donny's come or not. I'll be back at sundown."

"All right," Goren said with a nod.

Eames was more upset than she let on. She unfolded her arms and started to walk around to the driver's side. His hand caught her elbow and he spun her back around to face him. Bobby tucked his hand behind her neck and kissed her.

It was over as fast as it had begun, and then Bobby was coughing. Alex suddenly felt like crying. She summoned her strength and stood tall. "Watch your ass, Goren," she told him even though what she really wanted to say was "I love you."

He stood and watched her drive away, then walked back around the house to the shed. Bobby gently lowered himself to the concrete stoop and sat uncomfortably with his elbows on his knees.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Bobby sat for an hour and a half. He loosened his tie, wriggled out of his suit coat, and rolled up his shirt sleeves. The day was turning into a hot one. His ribs were starting to ache again, and the sporadic coughing wasn't helping. He ground his teeth together and let his head bump the shed door behind him. Then he closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the warmth of the sun.

After another cough, Bobby opened his eyes and saw Donny standing at the edge of the woods. He was just a shadow, standing back far enough that the light didn't really catch him.

Bobby struggled and got to his feet. He dropped his suit coat on the stoop of the door and walked slowly towards his nephew.

"You're limping," was the first thing the boy said to him.

"Ain't easy to sit like that when you're old," Bobby quipped. He reached out a hand, and Donny flinched. Bobby held his hands up to show Donny he wasn't hiding anything. Then he gently touched his nephew's arm. "You look good," he told him. "Healthy."

"You're sick," Donny told him.

"That's what my partner keeps saying." Bobby coughed.

"Maybe you should go to a doctor or something."

"Later."

Donny glanced around nervously and then waved for Bobby to follow him. They walked along the hard dirt path in the woods, and Donny had to stop several times for his Uncle to catch up to him.

Donny pointed to a pile of sticks ahead. There was a hint of color underneath. "Can you ride?" He asked.

"Yeah," Bobby grunted, and then coughed.

Donny uncovered the dirt bikes and waited until Bobby got hold of one. The young man kicked the motor to life, and Bobby did the same. Donny rode along the path, deeper into the woods, with Bobby following close behind.

* * *

The trees thinned out a little and chunks of shale dotted the ground. Donny stopped his bike and cut the engine. Bobby did the same. They walked them into the wide mouth of a cave.

Donny retrieved a flashlight from his grungy backpack. He lit the way, and the two men walked into the damp coolness of the cave.

Bobby coughed as he sat down. The ride on the dirt bike had jostled him so much his ribs were on fire. He realized he'd left his pain pills in his suit coat. He groaned and rubbed his face with his hands.

Donny watched him warily. "I guess I was worried for nothing," he said. "You're no match for me right now."

"Donny, I wouldn't hurt you."

"Still, you want to bring me in."

"I want you to get your life back. You're so young, Donny. There's a bright future ahead for you, if you can just get all this settled."

Donny scoffed. "Bright future. Right."

"Why not?" Bobby asked. "You're very bright. You could go to college, or whatever. The whole world is out there, just waiting for you."

"Did you tell that to Mia?"

Bobby tilted his head. "Mia has a future to consider, too."

"Mom never said anything good about you, you know. She said she could see you cutting yourself off from my Dad, but she couldn't understand why you would hold a grudge against me."

"Donny, I never knew about you."

"Yeah, right."

"No! Y-your Dad, he never told me. Un-until you were in Tates and he asked for my help. Honestly, Donny, I never knew."

Donny peered at him through narrowed eyes. "Dad isn't that way. I mean, he has his faults, but he loves me. And he loves you."

"Yeah…" Bobby's face grew sad. "Yeah, he did. He was murdered, Donny."

Donny's face filled with emotion. He dropped to the floor of the cave and rubbed one hand over his face and through his hair.

"On…on account of me," Bobby added with a heavy heart. "A man… from my past… you know, he lost it—he lost his mind, Donny. He had this crazy idea that if he got rid of Frank I'd be—" Bobby shivered. "He'd convinced himself he was helping me."

"Well, what happened? How did he die?"

"There was a woman, a serial killer I'd had several run-ins with. She got a away several years ago and Declan, the man I told you about, he teamed up with her. He got her to inject Frank with poison, and then she made it look like he jumped out of his window."

"The apartment window?" Donny smothered his sobs as he imagined his father's broken body. "God!" he cried. "Dad…"

"I'm sorry, Donny." Bobby was sorry. He was sorry for everything about his relationship with his brother, and for the circumstances of Frank's death.

* * *

"Goren finally seeing a doctor?" Agent Downes asked.

Alex frowned. "No, Vince, he's not." She didn't tell him what her partner was doing. They sat down to lunch together and Downes briefed her on what he'd discovered.

"Harley said Chuck made jokes about hidden treasure or something. He said it was Chuck's idea to get to know Mia."

"So… MacKearn contacted Chuck because he knew Mia would be in touch with Donny? For some kind of a treasure?" Alex scoffed. "This sounds ridiculous."

"It does, but MacKearn must have believed it or he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to steal Goren's identity."

"MacKearn was nuts."

"Maybe so. Let's catch up with Chuck and see what we can get out of him."

* * *

The dampness of the cave was loosening the crud in Bobby's lungs. Donny got to his feet. "Look, you should go back, see a doctor or something."

"Donny, I want you to turn yourself in."

"I can't."

"With a good lawyer, you can—"

"A good lawyer. Who's gonna pay for one? You? I can't afford a lawyer, and I know my Mom can't."

"Donny, your Mom and I… we'll do whatever it takes to help you. With a good lawyer, you can get time served and community service or something. There's no reason to keep running like this. The longer you run, the worse the consequences will be. You're digging yourself in deeper and deeper and… and it's gonna be hard to climb back out."

"You think I don't know all of that already? But Tates! They'll say I'm crazy! They'll put me back in isolation!"

"I'll pay for an independent psych evaluation. I'll get you a good doctor, somebody you can trust. And you know, I understand why you're scared, but Donny! You got your whole life ahead of you. You can do a little time. And then you'll be free and clear."

"Why should I trust you? You've never been there for me!"

Bobby was very still. "I was there for you once," he said, breathless.

The two men stared at each other in the darkness. Donny went back for his bag and brought back some food. He handed some crackers to his Uncle. "Eat this," Donny ordered.

Goren ate what he could manage and drank some water. Then he coughed himself to sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Uncle Bobby. Bobby!"

Goren felt someone shaking his shoulder. He groaned and opened his eyes. "Okay, okay, stop!" he said in annoyance, shoving the hand away from his shoulder.

"You've got to get back. Look, if you head back now, you'll get there in time for a good dinner with your partner, what's her name?"

"Eames." Bobby sat up with a grimace. "Donny, come with me."

"I-I can't. You know, when you talk about it, it sounds so simple… but nothing's simple, Bobby. Especially for me. Whenever I think I can trust somebody, they prove me wrong. Like Chuck and that damn picture. It's nothing personal, okay? I just… I gotta take care of myself."

Goren labored to get to his feet and coughed. "Look, you… you got my number, right, Donny?"

"Yeah, I got it."

"I just…" Goren shook his head in frustration. "Look, you have to come with me, okay? It's the only way."

"I just explained to you that I can't do that."

Goren was angry. "Well maybe I'll just have to arrest you, then."

Donny chuckled. "Yeah, you're gonna arrest me, right."

Goren reached out and grabbed his nephew, to try and put him in a hold. Donny snatched his hands free and pushed Bobby. The big man staggered back.

"You don't care about me!" Donny shouted, fire in his eyes.

"Look, if someone else catches you, y-you're taking a big risk!" Goren put a hand on his ribs and tried to catch his breath. "I just wanna make sure you're safe, Donny. You're the only family I've got," he admitted.

Donny's anger turned to confusion. "Well, look, I don't know about you. All I know is the only thing you've ever done for me is go to Tates. And we all know how fucked up that was."

Goren nodded. "Okay, yeah, I was a little… reckless. Maybe I should have gone about it some other way. But the point is I went in there, okay? I mean, you were in trouble and I tried to help. Isn't that worth something?" Bobby sighed and ran his hand through his hair, leaving it to massage the back of his neck. "I think if you keep running… something bad's gonna happen, Donny. And I can't… I can't explain it or anything… it's just… " he sighed again.

The two were silent a long time. "You'd better get back," Donny said. "And see a doctor or something."

"I can't."

"What do you mean, you can't?"

"I'm your Uncle, but I'm a sworn officer of the law, too, Donny. I can't walk out of here and what? Tell them I had a visit with you and let you go? They'd have my badge."

"So tell them I knocked you out or something. That I got away."

Bobby stood firm and stared at his nephew.

Donny met his stare, and then started to squirm. "Whoa, you're nothing like Dad, are you?"

"I wouldn't say 'nothing' like him."

"Yeah, but him? He would have left the first time I said no."

"Well, I'm not."

"All right, look. I'll think about everything you've said. But I can't do it right now. I can't."

"Then I'm not leaving."

"Okay, fair enough. I just need… some space to think."

Bobby held out a hand and reached for the cave wall. He steadied himself there and lowered himself to the ground. "I'll wait," he wheezed.

"Shit," said Donny, realizing again how sick Bobby was. With a frown, he ran his fingers through his hair, and stomped out of the cave.

* * *

"Look, we know that you and MacKearn were plotting something. Just what exactly is this treasure you were after, anyway?" Downes asked.

Chuck shrugged and looked away. "I don't know. The old man was crazy, okay? I just figured it would be fun to… play along, you know?"

Alex stepped closer to him, shaking her head. "No… it was more than playing along. You didn't even know Mia Walker. You sought her out, just to link MacKearn to Donny. Why?"

"MacKearn's dead. Donny's in hiding. I don't know what you think you're gonna get out of this." The FBI agent searched the young man's face.

"I do," Alex said. "Whatever it is, it's worth money. And Donny is the key. He must know where it is."

Chuck's face lit up, but then he masked his excitement. Alex looked over at Vince. "What kind of treasure is it, Chuck? Money? Drugs?"

"No, we're not into that!"

"Illegal weapons?"

"No!"

"Money, then. Or is it jewels? Some stash of loot from a robbery somewhere?"

"No. I told you it's nothing like that. Nothing illegal."

"Yet it was valuable enough for MacKearn to attack two police officers and try to steal one's identity," Downes said. He frowned at the boy, and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped in front of his mouth. "Let me tell you what's going to happen, Chuck. We're gonna watch you like a hawk. And if you go anywhere near this treasure, it will immediately be confiscated as evidence in our case against Donny."

"Finders keepers doesn't apply here," Alex told him.

"I don't even know where it is."

The two officers waited him out.

"It's supposed to be money, okay? Some kind of stash Donny's Dad set aside for him. Only MacKearn didn't know where it was. He was gonna pose as his Uncle to try and get him to talk to him about it."

"Donny's met Goren. He would have known MacKearn was an imposter."

"He didn't think he'd have to meet him face to face. He thought he could flash the badge around town, get the rumors going, maybe talk to Donny on the phone… and then he figured Donny could spill it to me."

"Or Mia."

"Right."

* * *

Goren dreamt of Frank again. He couldn't remember all of it, just that powerful feeling that his brother was with him. As he reviewed the bits of the dream in his mind, he shivered and coughed.

He tried to get inside Donny's head, but he just couldn't do it. Not well enough, anyway. Bobby knew what it was like to be a child witnessing the arguments of parents. He knew what it was like to have a father in and out of his life. But he didn't know Donny's mother that well. He didn't know enough about Donny's life to know how his dysfunctional family had shaped him.

All he knew was that Donny was smart. He knew he was family. He knew he wouldn't give up on the boy.

"All right, look. Can you manage the bike?" Donny asked him, as he came back.

Honestly, Goren felt weak. He wasn't sure he could start the bike, much less ride it. "I think so," he said.

"Let's go, then."

Bobby was surprised. He looked at the kid with affection.

"Well, you know, I thought about what you said. About Mia, and her future. And I do love her, Uncle Bobby. I can't make her, you know… I can't make her live like that."

"You could break it off," Bobby suggested, wanting to know that Donny had really thought everything through.

"No… I can't live without her, either." Bobby gave him an approving smile and Donny helped him to his feet. Goren was too unstable to push the bike back up out of the cave, so Donny walked both motorcycles out into the open and came back for his Uncle.

He started the bike for Goren and steadied it while the Detective got on. Donny then started his own. He waved a hand for Bobby to lead the way back.

Bobby was dizzy, and he hadn't gone far when he lost his balance and fell. Donny laid his bike on the ground and went to his Uncle. "You all right, man?" Donny asked.

It took a minute for Goren to answer. "I guess I can't ride," he said.

"All right, okay, look. Can you walk? Did you hurt yourself?"

Bobby shook his head and let the younger man help him to his feet. Even walking was difficult, but Donny stretched Bobby's arm over his shoulders and supported his weight. They headed down the path on foot.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The longer they walked, the more Bobby coughed. He stumbled and tripped. Donny stopped walking and let his Uncle lean on him while he caught his breath.

"Look, I can leave you here, go for help," Donny offered.

That sense of foreboding came over Bobby again, and he shook his head. "No. I need to be with you," he panted.

"Well, let me carry you, then."

Again, Goren shook his head. "Broken ribs," he told Donny.

Donny frowned. "Tell me when you're ready," he said. After a few more minutes, Bobby nodded his head and they started walking again.

* * *

"He was planning to take Donny back to New York with him. Whatever it is, it's somewhere in New York City," Chuck told Agent Downes.

Alex furrowed her brow. If there was any truth to this, if Frank set aside money for Donny, where would it be? Where would Frank have gotten the money to begin with?

Vince wrapped up the interview with Chuck. Alex was already out the door when he caught up to her. "Detective Eames?" he called.

"I need to talk to Bobby," she said, and climbed into the truck.

* * *

This time, they'd had to stop for a real rest. Bobby was struggling to catch his breath, and Donny was tired from supporting the larger man. Bobby had his back against a tree trunk, and Donny was on his knees, digging into his backpack. He withdrew a bottle of water.

"Here, drink some of this," he said.

Bobby took the bottle from him, but he couldn't even get it open. Donny took it quickly and twisted off the cap. Then he sat nearby and watched as Goren took a sip. He didn't manage much.

"I wish you would let me go ahead," Donny said.

"No!" Protested Bobby. It was hard for him to speak. "We have to… stick together."

"You need a doctor."

Goren frowned and coughed and waved his hand angrily in the air. "Stay. Here."

"You're done for," Donny told him. "You can't keep walking."

"So we'll sit." With a shaky hand, he tried to sip more water. "Eames… will find us."

With a frustrated sigh, Donny settled in against the tree beside his Uncle.

"How much did you see him?" Bobby managed to ask.

"Who, Dad?"

Goren nodded.

"I don't know. I guess he disappeared when I was born, but he came back again when I was two or three. He never stuck around that long. Mom finally told him to get lost." Donny closed his eyes. "And then on my tenth birthday, he came back again. He said he was clean, and he gave her some money. She was in between boyfriends and well, you know…" Donny shook his head and looked over at his Uncle. "But it didn't last. Nothing with Dad ever lasted."

"I'm sorry," Bobby told him. He felt the boy's pain.

Donny laughed. "Hey, it wasn't you, right? And I'm okay."

"It's true, you never do drugs? Frank said… you were just holding for someone else."

"Are you kidding? After seeing what they did to Dad? Mom had a picture of him on the mantle, from, you know, from when they were young. I couldn't believe how messed up he was. And never mind how much it sucked to grow up like that. No. I wouldn't do drugs. No way."

"Good," Bobby said, and tapped Donny's arm with the back of his hand. "Good."

After a silence, Donny spoke again. "Uncle Bobby? Do you really think I'm bipolar?"

Bobby coughed and gasped for air.

"Never mind, don't worry about it," Donny said, when Goren was able to breathe again.

"No, Donny… I'll tell you."

Donny looked into Bobby's eyes, both worried and hopeful.

"I don't have much to go on," Bobby wheezed. "Last year, you know… I don't know, maybe. But now…" he coughed again. "It could have just been stress."

"You don't think I'm crazy, like Grandma?"

"Don't—" Bobby warned, putting a finger in the air. He tried to get his breathing under control. "She was schizophrenic. Show some respect."

"Oh, uh… sorry. I just… never knew her, you know? And Dad said—"

"Schizophrenia isn't easy to live with," Bobby told him. "Frank never really understood her."

"So you think… you think I'm okay?"

Bobby reached out a hand and rested it on Donny's arm. He nodded. "I think so." Then he closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on breathing.

* * *

Mia gave Alex Bobby's suit coat, and she found the pill bottle inside. Eames' face screwed up with worry. "How long?" she asked the girl.

"Since about noon. He just walked into the woods and that was the last I saw of him."

Alex walked out the back door and stood on the stoop of the old shed. She looked out at the forest. The trail was very easy to find. Alex went toward it, checking to be sure her cell still had a signal.

"Donny wouldn't hurt him!" Mia called after her. "He wouldn't hurt anyone!"

Alex paused in the dark woods and gave her eyes a moment to adjust to the dimmer light. Then she scanned the ground carefully. Unable to find any clues, she walked along the trail. Alex checked her phone occasionally and was pleased to see there was still a signal. She walked until she saw a disturbance in the old leaves along the edge of the path. Her eyes scanned the ground and she caught a trace of tire tread. Very narrow tire tread. Alex frowned. The dirt bike. She checked her phone again and continued.

* * *

Donny felt Bobby's forehead and listened to his breathing. With a frown, he set the water within his Uncle's reach and started out of the woods to get help.

* * *

Alex heard something. She stopped walking and reached for her weapon. She strained her eyes trying to see into the darkness, but whoever was coming made no effort to hide.

"Bobby?" She called.

Donny skittered into sight and stopped in the middle of the trail.

Alex looked him over carefully and didn't draw her weapon. "Donny?"

"Y-you're Eames?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Uncle Bobby needs help."

Alex hurried forward. She saw that Donny was unarmed, and she forgot about her own weapon.

"He needs an ambulance."

Alex called it in, and gave Mia's address. Then she ran full speed as Donny led the way.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"Look, I don't need supervision anymore," Goren complained as Alex settled in at his apartment.

"You don't?"

"No, I'm fine. I've got my meds, and I'm home, and I'll be back at work on Monday. So you don't have to… you know…" He waved his hands in the air around him.

"You sound like you're sick of me."

"No, Eames, nothing like that. I'm just, you know… you've got things to do, don't you?"

"Maybe I need to talk to you," she said, folding her arms.

He shrugged one shoulder and dipped his head. "Talk away."

Alex sighed and sank down onto his couch. "Oh, Bobby…"

He could see she was troubled, and he lowered himself to the cushion beside her.

"Something… something happened between us, and now…"

"Something happened?"

She flushed with anger. "You kissed me!"

It was a quick decision, but there was a split second of honesty before he opened his mouth. "I was running a fever. I was outta my head, Eames!"

It hurt her to hear that. Alex frowned and folded her arms. Bobby avoided eye contact.

"You can tell yourself that, Bobby, and you can maybe even convince yourself to believe it, but I know better. But I guess you've made a decision for both of us." She got to her feet and angrily marched to the door. Then she stopped and there was a sadness in her face when she turned to him. "I'm glad you're okay. I guess I'll see you Monday."

He gave her one glance, and then looked at his shoes. His response when she spoke was to simply nod his head.

He'd had a lot of time to think in the hospital. Looking back on his life, Bobby knew that he had never managed more than one close relationship at a time. If he was close to Frank, he lost touch with his mother. When he was close to his mother, he lost Frank. Or maybe Frank lost himself. But it always worked out this way. When he grew close to Eames, distance grew between him and his mother. Then his mother became ill, and he sacrificed what he had with Alex to be with her.

Now, he had to focus on Donny.

* * *

Evelyn Carlson wasn't sure how she felt about all of this. She was relieved to have Donny back, and to know he was safe. For now, he was sent to serve out his original sentence. Goren had secured him a fairly decent lawyer, and with the help of a psychiatric report from Dr. Olivet, he was serving it in Rikers instead of at Tates.

She didn't like to see her son in that orange jumpsuit. She couldn't stand it that he was nothing more than a criminal to everyone who saw him. It was hard for her to explain to her neighbors what had happened.

Still and all, she was glad he'd turned himself in. And she didn't know what to make of Frank's brother. In her gut, she felt like he was trying to buy their love, with all the help he was giving them.

Donny didn't think so. Whenever she visited Donny, and the conversation inevitably turned to Bobby, her son told her to be more open-minded.

He said Frank had never told Bobby he had a son.

Evelyn found that hard to believe. On the other hand, she had always found it harder to believe that Donny's own grandmother wouldn't have wanted to see him. She had to have lucid times, after all.

So Evelyn warily accepted the assistance of Bobby Goren, and prayed every night that her son would not be tainted by his sentence in prison.

* * *

"Hi Bobby," Donny said. "You look better."

"Thanks," Goren said, sitting down across from him. "How you doin'?"

"I'm okay. It's okay here. It's not like Tates."

Bobby nodded. He studied his nephew carefully. The boy still had all his teeth, and that proved he was smart enough to keep away from the wrong crowd. "The other inmates? Nobody's uh…"

"It's okay. And the night guard, Williams? He gave me a copy of Walden. It was a joke, he said I could use it to escape."

Bobby chuckled. "Did you read it?"

"Twice."

"Have you talked to Mia?"

"She came and saw me last Saturday. We talk on the phone every chance I can get."

"Good."

"What about you? Is the pneumonia gone?"

Bobby nodded. "Just finishing the antibiotics, you know… I go back to work tomorrow."

"How's Eames?"

Bobby looked flustered for a minute. "She's okay."

"She's really great," Donny said. "And you can tell how much she cares about you."

"Yeah, well, you know. She's my partner. It's her job."

Donny laughed aloud, and then realized Bobby didn't think it was funny. "You really don't see it, do you?"

"It doesn't matter," Bobby said, waving off his words. "Donny, have you thought any more about that treasure business?"

"Of course I have. Not like I got anything else to do, right?" He laced his fingers together and flipped up one side and then the other. "Look, the only thing I can think of is that time when I was ten… Dad, you know, he got back with Mom for a while and even moved in and everything. He took me out for a hike, and he told me he was sorry for not being there and he promised he would make it up to me."

"That's not much to go on."

"It seemed like he meant it."

"He was good at breaking promises."

"Yeah," Donny said with a sigh. "I know."

"Well, I think I may have an idea," Bobby announced, and Donny tilted his head.

For a moment, Bobby thought the kid was mocking him, but then he realized he'd seen him do it several times. He was reminded of the first time Frank had shown him Donny's picture. "He doesn't look anything like you," Bobby had said.

And Frank had said, "No, he looks like you."

"When M-your Grandma was early on with the cancer treatments, I saw your Dad. He was," Bobby smiled and almost laughed a little, "he was in a soup line at a church, and you know, he was talking about his Higher Power and all that. I thought maybe he might have been close to someone in that church."

"Sure, maybe. Seemed like Dad had as many friends as enemies."

"I'm gonna follow up on it," Bobby announced. "I'll let you know if I'm onto something."

"Thanks, Uncle Bobby."

Bobby stood up, and so did the boy. They shook hands, and Bobby managed to pull him into a quick hug before he left the room.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Bobby was a little late to work Monday morning. He overslept, and the day went downhill from there. As he stepped out of the elevator, he almost ran over Eames, who was stepping in. They squared off in the doorway and stood there awkwardly until someone needed the elevator.

"You're going somewhere?" Bobby asked her.

"Uh, yeah," Alex said.

Something about the way she said it made Bobby uneasy. "Okay, let me settle in and I'll meet you back here."

"No, Bobby, it's… I'm going by myself. Ross wants me to fly back to Louisville, to uhm…" She blushed a little and tried to think how to tell him. "I'm going to consult with Vince on a cold case he's got."

"What?"

"It's only a couple of days. You know cold cases. A lot of reading, and if I'm lucky I'll get to interview someone."

"I'll go with you."

"Cap says no."

"The Captain? The Captain says that? Or you do?" Bobby was really getting upset now.

Alex's lips tightened. "If it were me saying it, I wouldn't hide it, Goren." She flipped her hair angrily. "I have a plane to catch." The elevator doors opened again and Alex shoved past him and got in. They stared at each other as the doors to the car closed.

Bobby hung his head and sauntered into the squad room. He put his things away, punched the power button on his computer and sat down at his desk. His whole body was tight with anger. His eyes flitted around the room, and he wondered how many people knew his partner had ditched him on his first day back.

* * *

Alex had busied herself with her family over the weekend and avoided the whole Bobby problem. Now, on another flight which for some reason only known to the airlines took her southeast before sending her back west, she had nothing to do but think.

He'd pulled her in, and then he'd pushed her away. All the time he was in the hospital, she kept thinking they had something going, a new start, a reason for all the intimacy they shared.

And yes, she'd realized she was in love.

But just like his damned magic tricks, he'd reeled her in and fooled her. Alex was angry.

Bobby thought he could continue on as if nothing had ever happened, but Alex Eames was honest. She knew there was no way anything could ever be the same between them.

She leaned her head to look out the window at the clouds and felt a little guilt over what she'd done. She'd been angry, and she'd wanted to punish him, so she orchestrated this little trip. She thought maybe she could prove a point.

* * *

Goren spent the day reading his emails, 224 of them. He also found the source of the foul smell in the break room. He pulled the vending machine out from the wall for the custodial crew and it felt good to be useful again. After convincing himself he hadn't been exposed to Hanta virus or the plague, he went back to his desk and found a single pencil lead rolling around on the metal floor of his desk drawer. It took him more than five minutes before he got creative and captured it.

He placed the lead in the center of his pencil and thought it was good he wasn't in the field today. Five minutes to get creative was a bit long for him. He might have made a fatal error.

At the thought of fatal errors, an image of Alex glaring at him by his apartment door was conjured up. He'd thought it all through in the hospital. He knew this was only logical for him. Even so, he wondered if she'd made it to Lousiville safely. He wondered if she checked in at the hotel first or went straight to the FBI. And he wondered about Vince.

Goren shook his head. He couldn't be jealous. The guy was just another working stiff, and they were almost all guys in this business. No need to let his thoughts drift there.

But instead of "Downes" or "Agent Downes" she'd called him "Vince." And that bugged the hell out of him.

The end of the workday rolled around and Goren packed up his things. He slipped his suit coat back on and walked out, feeling quite invisible.

His car was waiting for him in the garage. Goren tossed his binder on the passenger side of the long front seat and shut the driver's door. He flipped his keys in his hand and scratched at his five o'clock shadow. Then he pulled out his phone.

"Hey," Goren said, overjoyed that she'd answered.

"Hey," she replied.

"I, uh, you know, just wanted to know you made it okay."

"Yeah, the flight was good. Got delayed a little in Charlotte."

"Oh… sorry."

Alex frowned on the other end of the line. She didn't think the apology was the one she was waiting for. "Well, I should… you know, go find some dinner. Vince says there's a good seafood place on the river."

"Seafood in Louisville? Sounds risky, if you ask me."

How could he still make her smile when she was so mad at him?! "You're right, I'd better stick to bourbon."

"Alex?"

"Yeah, Bobby."

There was so much he wanted to say, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. "When you comin' back?"

"Wednesday night. I really should go, Bobby."

"Okay. I, uh… I'll see you on Thursday." With that, he hung up the phone and started the car. Bobby drove over to Grace Mission, a megachurch in the heart of the city, and the one he knew Frank had frequented.

The line was trailing down the street, a tight and well-mannered line. Goren parked his car and climbed out. He smiled and talked with the people in the line, recognizing more than a few of them.

Bobby flashed his shield and asked for the person in charge. A man in his 30s, tall and lean, came down from an office upstairs and shook his hand. "How can I help you, officer?"

"Detective," Bobby corrected him. "But I'm not actually here in an official capacity. It's something more personal."

"Oh?"

"D-do you have some time?"

"Sure, c'mon up, Detective…"

"Goren," Bobby said.

"Mike Krenshaw," the man said, and stuck out a hand for a shake before jogging up a flight of steps.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Bobby gave some background about Frank. "And well, it's kind of a long story, but word got around to his son that he may have put something aside for him. I mean, Frank didn't have much, and it's not likely, but I felt I owed it to him to check into it."

"We don't do anything like that here. We feed people and provide them with connections they may need for more services, but we don't house them or—"

"I-I-I know. I guess what I'm wondering is if Frank had any friends here. Maybe a friend would have… held something for him, for his son."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Goren. I don't recall your brother. We have so many who come through here."

"No, it's okay, maybe one of your staff?"

Krenshaw held up a finger and picked up his phone. "Noelle, I have a Detective Goren here with me. Could you share with him the logs from the last… three…" his eyebrows raised at Goren, who nodded, "years? And answer any questions he may have? Thank you."

Krenshaw rose to his feet. "Noelle is our most veteran employee. She's been here since we started. If anyone can help you, she can."

Bobby followed the man out of his office and down the hall. After introductions, Noelle sat him down in a rolling chair and warned him that it had a tendency to flip over if you weren't careful. Bobby grinned.

"Now. Who you lookin' for?" she asked.

"How do you know I'm looking for somebody?"

"Ain't no other reason to wanna go through the rolls. And that'll take all day, maybe even longer. So why don't ya tell me his name and I'll see if I can't find him faster."

"It's my brother. Frank Goren."

"Frank's your brother?" She clucked her tongue and shook her head. "I ain't seen Frank around here in a year."

"He-he's dead," Bobby said.

Her eyes widened, before her face displayed a deep sorrow. "I'm sorry for your loss," she said. "Now… if he's dead, why you tryin' to find him?"

Bobby explained the mystery. She wrote down three names on a piece of paper. "Did you know Frank was a good singer?" she asked Goren.

Bobby chuckled softly. "Good singer? Yeah, but he never… never did that in front of people…"

"He did. We had a karaoke night here for New Year's one time. Frank was clean then, and he was really active in the Church. He had a voice like an angel."

Bobby smiled. "That's… that's nice… to think about… thank you."

"He was an addict, but he had a heart, you know? You can't ever forget that."

Bobby nodded, grateful that he'd come. He took the slip of paper, got a few more tidbits of information, thanked her and went home.

* * *

The restaurant was in the shape of a riverboat, but on high ground overlooking the Ohio river. The view was beautiful. New York City had views, too, but they were full of City scenes: tall buildings, city lights, and the occasional tree. Here, the view was quite the opposite. Gently rolling water, and the deep green of grass and trees so thick it didn't seem another soul had ever set foot in them.

The food was good, and the bourbon was better. She let Vince buy her a couple of drinks and then started to make excuses about heading back to the hotel.

"Just one more," he told her. "I'm driving, and you don't have other plans, right?"

"I have a date," she said, smiling over at him. "With a chickflick on the hotel tv."

"Pay-per-view or cable?" he asked.

"Pay," she said.

"Then you can have just one more." Vince smiled at her and waved a hand to the waitress. "Another brand this time. A taste test. You can tell me which is better."

"All right," she agreed.

They ordered more drinks, and then Vince asked pleasantly, "How's your partner?"

Her expression changed. "He's fine."

"Oh, uh, sorry I brought it up."

"He's the most stubborn… nothing he ever does makes any sense. I mean, you saw him! Leaving that ER when he had Pneumonia…"

"Yes, that wasn't the most sensible thing to do, I agree."

"That's just the… tip… of the iceberg," Alex told him.

"But he's your partner."

"Damn straight."

Vince grinned. "So you're not thinking of asking to be reassigned."

"Now, why would I do that?"

"Because he's stubborn and makes no sense?"

"He's also a frickin' genius."

"Really?" Downes said, though it didn't sound like he believed it.

"You didn't see him at his best. Pneumonia and all."

"Oh. I see."

"Look, Vince, I'll tell you something. A secret. I've never told anyone."

"Yeah?"

"On the job, Goren is fucking brilliant. When it comes to anything off the job, he's an idiot."

"And that's the big secret?"

"Oh, hell no, anybody who's ever known him can see that. It's plain as day."

"So what, then?"

"I love that fucking idiot."

"Oh." Vince shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I guess I should just… pay this," he said. "And get you back to the hotel. You're gonna be hung over in the morning."

"Wanna bet on that?" she asked.

"No… but… Eames? How would you like to go to Churchill Downs?"

Her face lit up with excitement. "That sounds great!"

"I'll pick you up tomorrow morning."

Downes paid the check and drove her back to her hotel. As he gave her a hand out of the seat, he kissed her cheek. "I'll pick you up at 5 a.m. Be ready!"

He ducked and ran so fast she wasn't sure she'd heard him right. She walked to the elevator and went inside. Then she shook her head. This was her chance to meet somebody, to go out on a real date, and what had she decided to talk about? How she loved Goren. Alex folded her arms and waited until the doors slid open. Then she stepped out with a long sigh and went to her room. She'd been wrong about all that. She was the one who was an idiot.

And why on earth would Vince want her to go to Churchill Downs at 5 a.m.?

* * *

A/N My amazing Beta, CherylWB, says she can't see Eames doing this. And she's probably right. But... before you all pounce on me to say the same thing, let's just say I have a plan for her and this mess she's just made. Thanks as always for reading along and reviewing, especially for reviewing. I hope you're enjoying the story!


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Eames woke up at 4:00 a.m. and put her hands on her pounding head. She almost gave up and hid under the covers, but instead she scraped herself out of bed and hit the shower. By the time her room phone rang at 4:45, she looked as sharp as ever.

"Good morning," Vince said. "I brought you something. Can I come up?"

"Sure, I guess," she told him. She hastily tossed the covers straighter on the bed and made sure none of her unmentionables were out in the open. A knock sounded at the door.

Alex checked the peephole and unlatched the chain. She pulled the door open. "Don't mind the mess," she told him.

"Here," he said, and handed her a can of bloody mary mix. "Open that." He went into her bathroom and found a glass, then produced a sample bottle of vodka. He took the can and poured it in with the vodka, then presented it to Alex. "That should take the edge off," Vince said.

"I really shouldn't," she told him, thinking of the work she would be doing after this side trip to the racetrack.

"It's hours before we go to the office. You'll be fine."

Alex sipped the drink and wondered if there was any truth that it could cure a hangover. They made smalltalk and joked about sightseeing at the crack of dawn.

Finally, Vince drove her to Churchill Downs. He went through a security gate and parked in a secure lot. Then he held the door for Alex and she climbed out of the car.

"Why are we here at five in the morning?" she asked.

"To see the horses," he told her. "You like horses?"

"Sure. What self-respecting American girl doesn't?" They walked along together in the direction of the stables. The sun was offering a pale light over the open spaces, but it was at least another hour until a proper sunrise.

She heard the hoofbeats on the dirt track nearby, but couldn't see the horse and rider. Then she saw someone leading a thoroughbred out of one of the stables.

"Do you own a horse or something?" she asked, suddenly curious about his knowledge and access.

"No, I couldn't afford anything like that. Not with my salary." Vince smiled and put his hands in his pockets. "I have a friend who works with a trainer. She takes the horses out in the morning for exercise, then grooms them afterwards. She puts in a couple of hours every morning, and then she goes to her day job."

"Wow. Is she here today?"

"Yeah, probably. C'mon," he said, and led Eames to some bleacher seats near the track. Now they could see several horses on the dirt. Some were galloping, and others were warming up or cooling down.

"That's her," he said, pointing to his friend. She was on the other side of the track, in a jockey's helmet and goggles, sprinting the horse down the straightaway.

"How can you tell?" Eames asked. The woman was a blur, and unlike a race, these jockeys weren't wearing silks.

"I recognize the horse. Belvedere Blue," he said. "He just ran in the derby, placed around sixth, I think."

"That's good."

"Not good enough. And they only get one shot at the Derby. He'll race whatever he can, but he missed his chance for glory."

"He's a beautiful horse."

"They all are. These horses are bred to perfection."

* * *

Bobby thought of Alex as soon as he awoke in the morning. His mornings had been like that for years, but he'd never shared that with her. He remembered right away that she was out of town, and that she was with someone else.

He threw an arm over his face and instead of recalling the night he'd lied to her and pushed her away, flashes of her beside him in the hospital bombarded him.

He remembered the moment of the kiss, too, and brief as it was, it was something he would never forget.

Bobby pushed himself out of bed and distracted himself with his morning routine. It didn't matter about any of that now. He'd made his decision.

Now he had to focus on work and on Donny.

* * *

It was a nice morning. Vince was a complete gentleman, but the longer they were together, the more uneasy Alex felt. She was relieved when he finally brought her back to the hotel after breakfast. He circled around and opened the car door for her again.

"Yeah, I just have to check on some things. I'll meet you in the office later," Alex said.

Vince's lips curled and he stayed close to her. "Did you have a nice time?"

A shy smile and a blush appeared, both without her permission. "Yeah," she breathed. "Thanks."

Vince moved closer and tucked a hand against her cheek. Just as he moved to kiss her, she twisted and ducked. Alex ended up behind him.

Vince stood tall and turned around to face her.

Alex was embarrassed and angry all at the same time. "Look, I'm not—you're too fast for me," she told him.

Vince just grinned. "I guess what you said last night was true. About your partner."

Her embarrassment was complete. "N-n-no, Vince. Just forget it, okay? Anything I said last night was the result of some very good bourbon."

Vince Downes stuck his hands in his pockets and stared at her. "I hope you'll forgive me," he said. The man looked down at his shoes and shrugged. "I think you're beautiful. I suppose I took it as a kind of challenge."

Alex's arms were folded firmly across her chest. "Look, let's just… we have work to do, right? I'll see you later." With that, she turned and walked quickly into the hotel lobby.

Alex kept her arms folded the entire way back to her room. She rooted through her purse until she found the key and hurried inside. Alex leaned her body against the door to close it and suddenly felt very foolish.

She should have stayed at the hotel with her chick flick last night. She should have slept in this morning.

Alex couldn't believe she'd ever shared anything about Bobby with Downes. She hung her head. She was the worst friend on the planet.

Eames pushed off the door and took eight steps to the bed. She sat down on it, and suddenly was assaulted with memories of sitting beside him on his bed in this very hotel.

She loved Goren, but why couldn't she tell him that? She managed to find a way to tell Downes. For just a moment, she was inspired to call him. The inspiration was squashed just as quickly. Alex felt like an old piece of gum on the bottom of a shoe. She wouldn't know what to say if she called him.

She couldn't tell him how she felt. He didn't want her.

And to make things worse, now she had to go try and work with Vince as if nothing had ever happened.

* * *

"Heard from your partner?" Ross asked him casually as he walked past Bobby's desk.

"No. You know, she's coming back tomorrow. No need to…" Bobby waved a hand around in lieu of speaking.

Someone passed by and handed Ross a note. He looked it over quickly and set it on Goren's desk. "Well, you'll be too busy to talk, now, anyway." The Captain walked away.

Goren picked up the note and read it quickly. A body in Manhattan. He grabbed his things and headed out.

Bobby took three hours working the crime scene. This was a lot longer than usual, but he didn't have Alex with him, and he wanted to be sure he didn't miss anything. The body was released early on, but the team from CSU had to hang around until the lead Detective decided he was finished. Needless to say, Bobby wasn't the most popular guy around.

Just as he finally gave the signal to the technicians that he was finished, his cell phone rang. Checking the screen, he was thrilled when he saw Eames' name there.

"Eames, hi," Goren said.

Alex could hear the loud shouting of the team behind Bobby. "I guess you're not in the office," she said.

"No, I'm… I'm on my way there now," he said. "I just have one more interview to do first. Do you need something?"

"Yeah," she said. "I wonder if you could fax over that file on Wesley Hargin? You remember, the guy with the—"

"Yeah, yeah, I remember. The storage units… Send it to Downes?"

"No. Send it to me, at Downes' fax number."

"You got it."

"Bobby?"

"Yeah?"

Suddenly, she couldn't figure out what to say.

"Eames?"

"Look, when I get back tomorrow… can we get together?"

"Well, I'm looking into some stuff for my nephew, but…" Bobby frowned and rubbed his neck. His mouth had started running before he'd even thought about what he was saying again. "Sure. Yeah, sure, Eames. You—you want a ride from the airport?"

"I don't know," she said. "Look, I'll call you."

"Okay."

"And Bobby?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry." She was sorry for a lot more than he knew.

Goren puzzled over her apology. "Well, okay, you know. Just… I'll see you tomorrow." They said their goodbyes and he ended the call. She'd sounded troubled by something, and that really bothered him.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The case kept him on the job until after 6 p.m. Goren could feel himself tiring, and knew it would be best to get out of 1PP before he lost his temper. He hurriedly closed his desk and gathered his things. Then he hit the elevators.

He still had another investigation to work on this evening. Bobby had taken the time to look up the names on the list that Noelle had given him. The first two were off the radar. Most likely, they were homeless again, and would take some legwork to find. The last name on the list was Shaun Pollack, and he had popped up with both a current address and employment. Since the day had run so long, Bobby decided to look for Shaun and leave the other two for another day.

He rode the subway. After crossing a couple of blocks, he checked the address and knocked on the apartment door. It wasn't a great building, but it was better than the one his brother had lived in.

The door opened only a crack. "Who is it?"

Bobby held out his badge. "Robert Goren," he said. "I heard you knew my brother Frank."

"Frank…" The man sounded astonished. "Frank was your brother?"

"Yeah." Goren dug in his pocket and found his ID badge from 1PP, which had his name clearly typed across the bottom. "He was."

"You're Bobby?" the man said, opening the door wide.

"Yeah, I'm Bobby."

Shaun grinned at him and stepped back, his eyes running along Bobby from toe to head. "You don't look anything like him."

"Yeah, I know," Bobby said with a shy smile. He scratched his head and stepped inside.

"Wow… Do you know I was just thinking about Frankie today?"

"Frankie? You… you called him Frankie?"

"Didn't you?"

Bobby nodded.

"So what's the big deal, then? Come in. I'll get you a soda. You drink soda?"

"Yeah, thanks."

Shaun disappeared and returned with two cans. He handed one to Goren and there was a rushing hiss as he popped the top open. Bobby sipped from the can.

"The last time I saw Frank, you know, he talked about you."

"Oh…" Bobby's stomach tightened. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"He told me he was proud of you. You know, your job as a detective. Surely he told you that."

Bobby's eyes softened and his mouth turned in a sad smile. Frank had told him that. He'd blown it off at the time, but maybe it really had been true. "Yeah. He told me."

"That's good, man. So… Robert Goren… what brings you around here?"

"Well, Frank… did he ever tell you he had a son?"

"You mean Donny?"

"Yeah."

"Sure, he told me Donny was in jail somewhere."

"That's right."

"The kid's straightening out, right? Frank thought he would, you know, once he served his time."

"Donny's… he's fine," Goren said.

"That's good. If he didn't make it, you know… Frank… it would have killed him. He really believed in that kid."

"He's a good kid," Bobby said, more convinced than ever now that he'd spent some time with him. "Shaun, I guess you and my brother were friends."

"You bet."

"Did he ever mention… putting something aside for Donny? Like a little savings or something?"

"Frank didn't have anything to save."

"I know, I know," Bobby said. "I'm not really sure what it is, but he mentioned it to some people, and so Donny is curious."

"But he's still in jail, the kid?" Shaun looked skeptical. "I thought he only had to serve a year."

"He did, but he, uh… he escaped. He only just turned himself in… it kinda… turned the clock back, you know?"

"So you're checking it out for him, since he's behind bars."

"Yeah."

"Well, Bobby, no… I can't say I remember Frank ever talking about something like that. I suppose he might have come up with twenty bucks or something, but Frank was an addict." Shaun stared at Bobby, to be sure he really understood what that meant. "Even with the best of intentions, if he had access to money, you know, when he was off the wagon he would have used it. It wouldn't have mattered who he'd been saving it for."

Bobby nodded soberly. That went without saying. He thanked Pollack and headed slowly home.

* * *

Eames had called at noon and asked Goren to pick her up at the airport later. Now, as he waited by the baggage claim, he found himself excited to see her.

He didn't think about Downes. He only thought about how good it would be to lay eyes on her again. Out of nowhere, his conversation with Donny popped into his head. The kid had implied that Eames wanted something more than partnership with him.

Hell, Goren knew that. He wanted something more, too. If even Donny had picked up on it… it was no wonder the rumors flew around 1PP.

Bobby stopped pacing long enough to rub the toe of his shoe against a colored tile on the floor. Maybe he'd been wrong about Eames. Maybe he shouldn't have turned her away.

But Donny, the kid was his second job now. Bobby knew he wouldn't have the time for a relationship, not while he tried to help his nephew. He sighed and straightened again. He resumed his pacing.

He saw her on the escalator, before she even got to the baggage level. He didn't rush forward to greet her. Bobby took only a few steps in that direction and waited for her to join him. He knew she'd seen him. They'd had eyes locked together since she was halfway down the moving stairs.

Eames walked up and stood in front of him with her carryon beside her. "Thanks, Bobby."

He wanted to hug her. "Glad you're home," he said, swaying from foot to foot and keeping his hands at his sides. "You, uh… you have a bag?"

"Yeah. My garment bag. It wouldn't fit in the overhead so I had to check it."

Bobby walked over to the belt, which was just beginning to move. "The black one?"

"Yeah, you know."

He scoured the bags as they came around and snatched hers up easily. He slung it over his shoulder and walked with her to the attendant. After she showed the man her claim ticket, he let them pass.

Alex followed Bobby out to the lot. She didn't know where he would have parked. "Do you have to rush back?" she asked him.

"No, I'm done for the day," he replied.

"Wanna get some dinner?" Alex asked.

"My place," he said, and smiled at her. "You want pizza and beer or beer and pizza?"

Alex grinned. "I'll order while you drive."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"So how was Lousiville?" Goren asked, sounding too conversational.

Alex didn't want to be interrogated, especially by Bobby. But she did want to talk, and she knew she would have to give a little if she wanted to get anything back in return. She paused a moment before she answered. "It was okay."

Bobby caught the discomfort in her voice. "Okay."

"Yeah."

"Did Downes try something?" Bobby's cheeks flushed a little, and he seemed ready to pounce.

"No, no… well, yes, but not like you're thinking." She walked past Bobby and sat down in his easy chair. "We had a date."

Bobby felt a surge go through him, but he didn't even flinch. "W-what did he do?"

"Nothing."

Bobby smiled. "Nothing. Then why aren't you happy?"

"Bobby, I did something… I'm ashamed of."

"Eames, c'mon…" he waggled his head from side to side. "This isn't a confessional."

"Bobby, I said some things to Vince… about you, and I'm… I'm sorry."

Bobby felt a little zap as her apology clicked into place. He took a deep breath. "It's okay." He turned back to the kitchen to get a fresh beer, and kept on talking. "I mean, I don't care. I'll never see him again, it doesn't matter anyway. Forget about it."

"Bobby, I love you."

The beer slipped right out of his fingers and shattered on the tile floor. Bobby only glanced at the mess, then looked at her in astonishment.

"I love you and I told him that and I realized I've never told you. So here I am, now. Telling you."

He gaped a moment, and then carefully stepped over his mess and gathered some paper towels to start cleaning it up. Alex came into the kitchen and joined him.

"Just—be careful," Bobby told her, clearly unhappy that she was trying to pick up the shards of glass with her bare hands.

"I know what I'm doing," Alex retorted.

He raced to pick it all up first, and Alex started moving faster, too. For a few minutes, they were engaged in a silent battle. A tiny gasp escaped Alex's lips and she sat back, holding tightly to her finger.

"You cut yourself?!" Bobby asked, and reached for her hand.

"It's nothing," she said, and turned away to rinse the cut in his sink.

He leaned over her, watching. "Stitches?"

"No. It's nothing." Alex allowed him to look at the wound.

"It might need a stitch," he said.

"Nah."

"I think you'd better be safe than sorry."

Alex was aggravated. "Just get me a damn band-aid!" He stared into her eyes for a split second and then turned to do as she said. Alex ripped a paper towel off the roll and pressed it to her finger, both drying it and soaking up the blood. She hung her head. She hadn't meant to snap at him.

Bobby returned and held up the bandage. "Can I?" he asked her.

Alex nodded and held her hand out to him. He removed the wrapper and held the bandaid in one hand while he gently removed the paper towel with the other. He was quick, and soon her finger was wrapped nicely.

"Why, Bobby?"

"Huh?"

"Something happened between us. After your accident. You can't deny it. And then in Indiana, and… Bobby, why? Why don't you want to love me?" She searched his eyes, and before long they were bouncing everywhere, avoiding her.

"It's not a matter of what I want," he said, and he finally found the courage to meet her gaze again. "And if it was, well… I think you know…"

"No, I don't know. You never say anything, Bobby. It's like that old kid's prank. You knock on the door and then you run, and sometimes I'm clueless and sometimes I get this little glimpse…"

"I say plenty."

"Not about this."

"What would you have me say, Alex? That… that I love you? Because we all know that only leads to expectations of more, and more is exactly what I can't promise."

"Why not?!"

He ran his hand through his hair and turned away from her, scooping up the papers form the band-aid and slipping them into the trash can. Then he gathered more paper towels and finished with the mess on the floor.

"I've got Donny to think about, okay?"

"Donny's fine, now. He's getting his life back on track."

"Well, he needs family, all right? And he needs guidance, and encouragement."

"You're not his father."

Bobby stopped cold. He stared at her a moment, his hand full of glass and paper towels, and then he finally turned away to toss it in the can. "I know that."

"You can't make up for the things Frank did… or didn't do."

Bobby shrugged painfully. "Maybe I can."

Alex was silent a while. When she finally spoke again, she nodded. "I get it. You think you have to choose… either Donny or me, because somehow you just don't have room in your life for both of us."

"Eames, c'mon. That's not…" Even as he lied about it, he felt a chill. She had him pegged.

"I wish you'd let me prove to you that it doesn't have to be that way," Alex said quietly.

"But what if it does? Then what… happens to us?" Goren asked her.

Alex looked down at her hurt finger, and an idea formed in her mind. She held it up where he could see it. "We might bleed a little, but we'll heal. I've known you too long, Bobby. Anything that happens, we can get through it. Together."

Goren stepped closer. He took her hurt hand in his and raised it to his shoulder. Bobby did the same with the other one, and then stepped even closer as he put his hands on her hips. He looked into her eyes for what seemed an eternity.

Alex met his steady gaze and held it. His lips touched hers gently at first, but soon they were locked in a deep and passionate kiss.

"I don't want to lose you, Alex." It was a whisper against her ear, just before his lips made contact with her neck.

"You won't, Bobby. You won't."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"There's a lot to consider," Bobby said, finally finding his voice after the kiss.

Alex was still trying to catch her breath. "What?"

"About Donny. I mean, he'll be up for parole in a month, so long as he stays out of trouble."

"Yeah…?"

"He won't be able to go home. He'll have to stay in New York. I thought I would let him stay here, you know, until he gets a good job and can afford a place of his own."

"Oh, Bobby, I don't know if that's a good idea."

"You see? Already."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Already, you're… it's not gonna work. It's either you or Donny."

"No, stop it." Alex could see he was about to retreat somewhere, and leave her drifting again. "Bobby." She clutched his hand and waited for him to meet her gaze. "If I express an opinion, it shouldn't mean be the end of the world. I've always told you what I think, right?"

Alex waited for his nod, and continued, "And you've always respected me for that, right?" Again, he nodded. "So that can't be a problem for us now. All I was trying to say is that you've lived alone for a very long time. And to take Donny in… he's still a kid, Bobby. He has a whole different lifestyle than you."

"He's family, Eames. He's got no one else here. I'm supposed to let him live on the streets?"

"No. Of course not. Look, Bobby, I understand why you're thinking this way, but maybe it would be better to keep a little distance. You know, he may be uncomfortable around you, too."

"He doesn't have much choice."

"A halfway house?"

Bobby shook his head. "Where he'll be with the same people who got him into this mess in the first place? I'm trying to get him away from that. Give him a fresh start."

Alex sighed. "Maybe that mysterious treasure of Frank's will be enough to pay for an apartment or something." She smiled at him sadly, but they both knew how unlikely that was. She leaned against him, and he put his arms around her. "So what you're saying is we have about a month to be a couple before I have to share you with Donny."

"It would be easier not to—"

"Shut up, Goren." Alex gave him a good, hard squeeze, her arms wrapped around his chest. "I'll help you with Donny. He's family."

Bobby smiled at that, and increased the pressure of his arms. After a few minutes, he kissed her on the top of her head.

Alex could tell Bobby was still tentative about the idea. She pulled away far enough to watch her hands as they slipped off his suit coat. She caught it with her left hand and draped it over his kitchen chair. Alex moved closer to kiss him.

He hedged at first, as if he was still trying to decide. Once her lips pressed soft against his, he let down his guard. Bobby kissed her back. His hands started roaming over her body, in the little hollow above her hipbone, drifting sideways across her ribs, moving upward and brushing the sides of her breasts as they slipped up to her shoulders.

This kind of touching was no longer forbidden. He hugged her again, and his tie clip poked her. She drew back and removed it, then smiled as she pulled on his tie and reeled him in for another kiss. Bobby took the tie clip from her hand and dropped it onto the counter, his lips never leaving hers.

Her hands worked to untie the knot, and before long she'd slipped it free and the tie was on the counter as well. Next she fumbled with the buttons on his shirt. Bobby broke away from the kiss and took his shirt off. He stood before Alex, panting slightly, asking permission with his eyes.

Alex picked up his left hand and placed it on the button just below her chin. In a rush, Bobby kissed her again, and his fingers worked frantically to free her from her blouse. Her hands rubbed against his bare skin.

As her blouse opened, Bobby's hand moved inside. His lips slipped down to her neck as the warmth of his hand radiated through the fabric of her bra.

Alex nipped at his ear and shuddered with pleasure as his fingers searched for and then found her nipple. She reached her arms behind her and unclasped the bra. In no time, it was on the floor.

Each of them was lost in the sensations of the other. Somehow, in the unbalanced urgency, they made their way to his bedroom. Bobby stopped one last time, quietly breathing at the edge of the bed. He still held her hand.

Alex raised her hand, band-aid and all, and took him by the neck. She pulled him to her and kissed him so hard, she heard a groan escape his busy lips. She pushed him back onto the bed and climbed over him, still kissing, still exploring.

There was no mistaking his desire. Several times, she bumped against him, and felt how hard he was. Bobby didn't force anything, though. For now, the two of them half naked on his bed was satisfying enough. They kissed and caressed and pulsed with desire.

After a while, the kisses slowed and softened. Alex laid her head against his shoulder, and felt his fingers splay out over her back. She smiled.

"I love you, Alex," Bobby said. "I don't think I said it clearly when we were talking before."

Her smile widened.

"I'm sorry, you know… for everything."

"Bobby, shhh…"

"I love you," he said once more.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Bobby drove her home, kissed her goodnight and spent the rest of the evening on the computer. In the morning, he bought Eames a coffee and Danish and read his email while he waited for her.

"Good morning," she said, as she stood over her desk and peeked in the bakery bag.

He gave her a quick grin and averted his eyes. "Good morning," he replied.

"Thanks," Alex said with a smile, biting into her breakfast.

He waved off her thanks and opened his desk drawer. Bobby handed over a file. "Ross handed me this one while you were, uh, out of town. I'm ready to pick up Klein and bring him into interrogation."

"Sounds good," she said. "When do we leave?"

"I think when he heads to the gym. Around 9."

"Good. I have time for breakfast," she said with a grin and toasted him with her coffee.

* * *

The interrogation went long, so Alex ordered takeout and they ate in the squad room while Klein spoke with his lawyer. Bobby was in a bad mood. He hadn't been able to pull the confession out, and Ross was starting to pressure them to cut Klein loose.

"Maybe I should go in," Alex said. "A distraction, if nothing else." Since he'd been working the case alone from the start, she had stayed in the background, offering him support from behind the glass.

He grumbled something and shook his head. Bobby walked down the hall to the bathroom. Alex took another bite of her steamed rice and accepted a printout from a junior detective who passed by. "Thanks," she told him, and handed him the little bag with spring rolls inside. He smiled and hurried away, and Goren came back.

"All right," he said. "You'll come in, and…" Bobby rearranged the food boxes on the desk to represent the furniture in the room. "Stand here, kind of close to him. And… d'you have that perfume?"

She nodded.

"Put that on before you go in." Alex nodded and the two cleaned up their lunch before heading back to the interrogation room.

* * *

Finally, at 3:00, the guy cracked. He couldn't stand the perfume, and the longer they were cooped up in the room, the more agitated he got. Alex had learned enough about the case to pipe in with the questioning, and Klein exploded at her. He confessed everything and then said "Get me the hell outta here!"

As they walked out, Alex tossed her hair and said, "I need a shower. I can't stand this perfume, either!"

Bobby was tired, but he gave her a shy smile. She started to walk away, and he called her back. "Eames, uh…"

She turned and tilted her head slightly as she waited for him to continue.

"I was hoping you'd be willing to… give me a hand with something later."

Her first thought was that he was giving her some kind of code, but then she realized he was sincere. "Sure, Bobby. What is it?"

"It's got to do with Donny, and you know, Frank. Look, you know, just go and shower, you know… I'll do the paperwork. It was my case anyway."

* * *

It took a lot of research, and a lot of legwork, but the detectives finally caught up with another person on Noelle's list: Eden Sharpe.

She looked warily at the two of them. "What you want with me?" She asked, as they showed her their badges.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you about Frank Goren," Bobby said.

"Frank Goren? What makes you think I know him?"

"You went to NA meetings together."

"You don't know that. NA meetings are confidential."

"Okay, look," Alex said. "We're detectives, all right? We're good at finding things out. You and Frank were friends from NA."

She still looked distrustful. Bobby shrugged and reached into his pocket for his wallet. He showed her his driver's license, and then the picture of him and Frank as kids. "Look, Frank was my brother, okay? I'm trying to find out about something he may have done before he died."

"His brother?" She asked, searching Bobby's face. "His little brother? Bobby?"

Bobby gave her his most charming smile. "Yeah. That's me."

"Oh, but you ain't little."

"Not anymore."

"C-could we come in?" he asked her. Finally, she opened the door to her tiny efficiency. It was a mess, but Alex and Bobby both scooted some things aside and found a place to sit. The woman plopped down into the middle of a pile of covers on the couch.

Bobby told her the story of Donny and of this whatever it was that Frank had put aside for his son.

"He's into drugs?" She asked.

"Who, Donny? No. He was in with the wrong crowd, that's all. He's not like Frank."

"I could have loved Frank, you know. Only he couldn't stay clean." She saw the look that passed between her two guests, and Eden continued. "Oh, I know what you're thinkin'," she said, waving her hand around at her messy home. "I've got my problems, I know. But I'm clean. I've been clean for 7 years, and I ain't ever goin' back."

"Good for you," Alex said, and Bobby gave her his approval, as well.

"Did he ever say… he was putting something aside for Donny?" Bobby asked.

"Not that I recall." She sighed heavily. "God, I miss him. It was the hardest thing I ever did when I told him to leave. I loved Frank," she said, and tears welled up in her eyes. "The times we spent together… he really made me feel special." Eden wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "When I heard that he OD'd—"

"He didn't OD," Bobby interrupted. "He was murdered."

Her jaw dropped and she covered her mouth with her hand.

Bobby looked to Alex for support, and then continued. "It was made… to look like he OD'd, but Frank was killed. I mean, he was using… I'm not trying to make him out to be a saint or anything…" Bobby's own emotions were stirring up. He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

"I never knew. I always assumed…"

"It doesn't matter. I guess it doesn't matter," Bobby said.

"No, it does. Why would anyone want to kill Frank?"

Alex tensed, knowing all too well the answer to that question. Bobby massaged one arm with the opposite hand. "I'm a cop, you know? I have enemies… and Frank…" Bobby frowned and bit his bottom lip.

"The murderers did it to hurt Bobby," Alex explained for him.

"Oh, God! Poor Frank!" She whispered. Eden looked up at Bobby. She saw the pain in his expression. "Poor you."

"Well, I, uh… I have to think of Donny now. And you know, if Frank left something behind for him, well, I have to make that happen. Frank would have wanted it that way."

"I'm sorry," Eden said. "He never said anything to me." As they left, Bobby spontaneously gave the woman a hug. "Take care, Little Brother," she said kindly as the two went out the door.

As they walked down the hall, Alex watched Bobby take a deep breath and let it go. This was taking a toll on him.

"Are they all like this?"

Bobby nodded. He spun back momentarily to glance at her, then continued down the hall ahead of her. "Yeah. But, you know… I'm learning about Frank, too." He spun back once more and made eye contact again.

"That's it," Bobby said. "I only have one more lead, and then I guess I'm done."

"Who is it?" she asked him.

"Guy named John Jacobi. I haven't found him yet. Moves around a lot."

They left the building and reached the car. Once inside, Alex reached out for his hand. He jerked in shock, as if he'd forgotten they were suddenly more than partners. Just as quickly, Bobby relaxed against her grasp. "Sorry," he said. "I'm just not used to this."

She gave him a minute, then said, "Wanna come over?"

Bobby's body responded immediately. Whether it was the look on her face or the tone of her voice, he would never know, but he knew without a doubt, the answer was "Yes."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"Goren," Bobby said into the phone, as he tossed his suit coat on Eames' couch.

Evelyn Carlson sounded anxious. "I saw him tonight. He said you were looking into this treasure of Frank's."

"Yeah, that's right, I am," Bobby said.

"You know it's just a lie. Frank never had anything to give Donny. He couldn't even give him his time."

"Yeah, yeah, I know that," Bobby said, raking his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"So why are you getting his hopes up? Donny's got a hard road ahead of him, and you're filling his head with this crap? He thinks he's gonna walk out of jail and into college, all expenses paid!"

"He said that to you?" Bobby asked.

"He might as well have! Look, I know you think because you're Frank's brother that you need to be all involved in this, but you remember something, Detective. Donny is MY SON. I'm not gonna let another Goren hurt him."

Bobby's lips tightened and he chewed on his cheek. "You think I'm trying to hurt him," he said quietly.

"I think filling his head with these crazy ideas is just gonna make it a hell of a lot harder for him. He's had enough disappointment in his life."

Silently, Bobby's head bobbed in agreement. "I see your point," he said.

"When are you going to see him again?" she asked.

"Sunday," Bobby told her. "I go on Sundays."

"Do me a favor and undo the damage, would you?"

"Okay, yeah. Okay. Goodbye, Evelyn." He ended the call and sighed heavily.

"Donny's mom?" Alex asked, and Bobby nodded. "You okay?"

"She thinks I'm filling his head with crazy dreams. She… she doesn't like me… taking an interest in him."

"Well, it's a good thing you did. He'd still be a fugitive!" Alex's anger spiked. Bobby had nearly died twice trying to help her son. Couldn't the woman see how much he cared?

"Sh-she's his mother. Her first concern is him. She's got nothing, no reason to trust me."

"She's got Tates. And Indiana."

"Well, that's not…" he walked down the hall as he was speaking and his words were lost under his breath. Alex heard him in the bathroom and found a bottle of whiskey in her cabinet. She poured them both a drink and handed him one when he came back.

"I'm sorry, I just have a hard time with that woman." It was true. Ever since she and Bobby had driven out to talk to her after Frank's death, Alex had disliked her. She'd said she wished Bobby had 'taken more of an interest' in Donny. Did the woman not even know the father of her child? And what a liar he had been? Bobby had said nothing to correct her, though, so Alex had kept her thoughts to herself.

Bobby took a sip of the whiskey and licked his lips. "She's his mother," he said. "And I know she'd rather I step out of his life, but I'm not going to. So we're gonna have to find a way to compromise."

"What do you think she will say about Donny moving in with you?"

Bobby shrugged. "It will be Donny's decision."

Now Alex was starting to understand the complexities of Bobby's relationship with Donny, and why he thought he had to choose. "That's right. And so it's nothing to worry about now." She clinked his glass with hers, then took a heavy swig.

"We're on call," Bobby reminded her.

"All the more reason to get a good night's sleep," she said, and finished the glass.

Bobby took one more sip of his own whiskey and followed Alex down the hall. He hovered at her bedroom door, unsure if he was invited in or not.

Alex was undressing. She turned towards him and bobbed her head once, asking him in. Bobby undressed, too, and soon the two of them were side by side in bed. He wore only his boxers, and she wore her underpants and a thin nightgown.

They spent some time simply playing with each other's hands, matching their fingers and then weaving them together. Linked together, Bobby turned on his side and reached in for a kiss. Their hands split and began to roam over each others' bodies. Before long, the room was filled with heavy breathing.

"D-do… do you want to?" Bobby asked her. He already knew what he wanted.

"Foreplay?" Alex asked, and guided his hand between her legs.

"Birth control?" he whispered.

"It's okay," she replied.

Bobby smiled and kissed her again as his fingers tiptoed around her panties. He smiled again as he felt how damp she was. Dipping his finger inside, he groaned with longing as he heard her gasp of pleasure.

Alex's breath became quick and ragged. She worked her hand between their bodies and found the bulge in his shorts. Bobby's kiss broke and he gasped for air as her hand closed around him. Then he dove in deeper, tongue searching her mouth and his fingers moving faster.

"Oh, God!" Alex cried, rubbing him fiercely as he moved against her. Bobby's hand withdrew and he yanked quickly at her panties. He tossed them aside and took off his boxers, throwing them hastily against the wall.

He started to move toward her, but Alex's hand on his chest stopped him. Bobby propped himself on one arm and saw her simply staring at his long, hard cock. He was pleased when he saw her mouth curl into a smile. Delicately, he leaned over her and kissed her lips. Bobby gently lifted the hem of her nightie, exposing her bare lower half. He eased her legs open with his hands, and she was happy to spread them wide for him.

Bobby's cock touched her flesh. Alex felt a tingle of pleasure radiate out from the point of contact. They both paused, preparing for the next sensation. Slowly, he pressed against her, and she moaned as he filled her completely.

It hurt a little at first, but Bobby was gentle. He moved slowly, and when Alex was ready, he rocked with her. Bobby's eyes closed, and he was overwhelmed.

He hadn't made love in years. He'd taken care of himself, but that was a completely different feeling than what he was experiencing now. In fact, it had never felt like this, with Alex. He could hear her starting to gasp beneath him, and a great white cloud of ecstasy took over his thoughts.

Bobby's mouth found hers, and his fingers rolled over her nightie, ironing out a crease that happened to be right over her nipple.

Alex's palms moved, flat against the bare skin of his abs, curved up to his pecs, and slipped overtop his strong shoulders. She clung hard to his thick muscles, and moved her body in time with his. In the hustle, his mouth slipped away from hers and she felt his tongue swirl against a soft place on her neck. Alex moaned softly, and his lips closed, leaving her neck with a sweet kiss.

Bobby had no concept of time, no coherent thought. He was operating on pure instinct, only aware enough of self and situation to keep it gentle for his lover. He was filled by her scent, richer now than he'd ever experienced, and his entire body was vibrating with bliss.

A jolt of electricity went through him as he erupted, and then the most intense feeling of peace he'd ever known. He settled overtop of her, kissing her and then nestling against her warmth.

It was a long time before either of them could speak. "Oh, Bobby," Alex whispered. "That was amazing."

He answered by kissing her forehead. "Are you okay? I'm not crushing you?" he asked, and moved to the side as he spoke. His movement caused their link to break, and they both had a brief second of disappointment. Bobby folded his leg over her thighs and dropped his arm over her torso. He kissed her cheek, and when she turned, he kissed her lips.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The next morning, Bobby left her to run while he went to 1PP as usual. When Alex came in, her coffee and Danish were waiting for her as always.

He seemed to blush a little when he said good morning, but within seconds, he was rattling off information about the cold case he was working on until something new came in.

Alex felt drawn to him whenever she looked his way. She wasn't sure, now, if consummating the relationship was such a great idea. What if they couldn't concentrate on the job anymore?

On the other hand, there was nowhere she'd rather be than right next to him.

"Goren, Eames," Ross said. "When it rains, it pours. Two bodies, six blocks apart." He dropped the paperwork in the middle of their desks and went to another part of the squad room to deliver another.

It was rare to have more than one crime scene at a time. It only happened when the squad had more cases than they had teams.

"Together, or separate?" He asked her. They would have better information if they split and took the crime scenes separately. Then again, it was slower when they worked apart.

"What do you want to do?" she asked him.

Bobby shrugged. She was senior partner, and it was her call. "Separate, then. Call me from the scene."

"Yes, Ma'am," Bobby said. They each took the paperwork for one case, gathered their things, and hit the motor pool.

* * *

Working separately took the pressure off. Eames scoured her own crime scene, knowing Bobby would follow her command and call her when he was onto something with his own. In the meantime, Ross would be calling other squads for assistance so the teams from Major Case wouldn't be overloaded.

Just as she told the guys from the ME's office they could take the body, her cell rang. "Eames," she said.

"I got a 23-year-old-male, made to look like a suicide, his right forearm sliced open. Rodgers agrees with me that wasn't the COD. He has a suspicious bruise on his chest, she'll tell me more after she cracks him open."

"Okay, good work, Bobby."

"Any word from Ross yet?"

"Not yet."

"Need me to join you?"

"No, go ahead and work your vic. I'm almost done here."

* * *

By the time she got back, two detectives from homicide had come over to help out. Eames gladly handed them her case, and then read Bobby's notes to get up to speed on his.

She was managing better, now that she'd had time to get into her work. Actually, all afternoon the only thing that drove her to distraction was when she had to stand so close to him in the elevator.

Goren was right, of course. As the body had time to sit, the bruising on the chest revealed a very peculiar handprint. It was the result of a precision martial arts blow.

They had a lot of legwork to do.

* * *

It was after 10 when they finally got back to Major Case. The two ordered a pizza and holed up in a conference room. Alex set up the board while Bobby organized the notes that were in the binder.

They sat down on the same side of the table and studied the board while they ate. "Candelaria could have done it. He had motive."

"So did Timmons."

"But it looks like Timmons was across town."

"We'll check that in the morning."

"His cell phone records. They would give us an idea of his location." Bobby rooted through the stack of papers on the table. He pulled out one and set it between them. They put their heads together and scanned the list.

Suddenly, Bobby scooted his chair away from her. He said nothing, but he continued to work with a buffer between them. They worked until 2 in the morning, and then Alex called it a night.

Bobby displayed no emotion. He only nodded. "I'll, uh… bunk out here."

Alex searched his eyes. "You okay?"

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, uh, I… I gotta put in some time for Donny, too," he said. "I can't rest until I do."

"Bobby…" She started to tell him Donny could wait, but she knew exactly how that would go over. Alex stopped. "You need your rest, too," she said. "Make sure you get some."

Again, he nodded.

Alex desperately wanted to kiss him good night. Instead, she laid a single finger against the back of his hand. "Good night, Bobby."

"Night, Eames," he said quietly. As the door closed behind her, he put his thumb on the spot she'd touched. Bobby closed his eyes, took a breath, and tried to rub it away. Then he closed up the room and went to work at his desk.

* * *

There was no point in coming in before 9. The bulk of businesses opened at either 9 or 10. Any sooner and Eames would find herself sitting around staring at the clock. She drank the last of her coffee and let her thoughts drift to Bobby.

She wondered if he'd gotten anywhere looking for Frank's treasure. She wondered if he'd gotten any sleep. She wondered, too, if he'd had as hard a time as she had being together on the job yesterday.

At 8:15, Alex was in her car and heading for work. She knew she'd get answers to some of her questions once she got there.

* * *

"Bobby still asleep?" Alex asked the Captain as he walked by.

"Hmmm?"

"He said he was bunking out here last night. Is he still in there?"

"I don't know. Get Walker to check for you."

Alex looked at Bobby's desk as the Captain walked away. He'd left his binder neatly closed in the center. She flipped around to his chair and opened it. Inside, she found a page and a half of scrawled and scratched out notes. She knew from the amount of work he'd stayed up at least until 4. The last line made her frown. In all caps, underlined three times, it said "deceased."

So he'd stayed up all night for nothing.

Alex looked back at the first page, copied down the name Noelle had given him, and started doing her own research. She made a few calls, and at quarter til 10, had Walker go wake Bobby.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

It was a grunt job, being sent to wake a detective from Major Case. Walker had been assigned as support to Major Case for four months. He stood guard over holding, ran coffee for the captain, and woke up detectives in the bunk room. He was hoping for a chance to stand guard over interrogation. At least those guys came home with some stories to tell.

"Detective Goren?" he said, and got no response. Goren was on his side, his face completely hidden by one arm. "Goren?" Walker said again, this time nudging him in the back.

In an instant, Goren was sitting up full, ready to fight. He got his bearings quickly and tried to calm himself.

"Sorry," Walker told him. "Your partner said to wake you."

"It's okay," Bobby said. As Walker stepped away, Bobby pressed both hands against his eyes. He took another deep breath and got to his feet. Eames was waiting for him.

Bobby emerged from the locker room hastily groomed. He was clean shaven, and he'd managed to mostly tame his hair, but his clothes were slightly wrinkled from the night before.

"You get any sleep?" she asked him.

Bobby nodded. "A little."

"I've got good news," she told him, as she handed him a coffee. "John Jacobi may be dead, but I found a friend of his who might be able to help you."

"Y-you…?" Bobby was shocked. He'd given up entirely on Frank's treasure last night. And for Alex to come in and work on that instead of their case…

"Look, I needed something to do for an hour while you slept." She grinned at him.

Bobby broke into a smile. "Thanks… Alex, thanks." Within a minute, they were back to work on their Major Case.

* * *

The case wrapped up in the early afternoon. It was good work. They'd moved on it quickly and hung in until they had everything they needed. When Alex made the arrest, the guy confessed and they were through. Once the paperwork was filed, Ross gave them an early start to their weekend.

The two left together. Alex handed Bobby a note in the elevator. "Damion Weist. Jacobi knew him from the shelter, and lived by him for a few months, just before Frank died."

"Another junkie?" Bobby asked her.

"This guy's been clean for 15 years. He worked at the shelter, until he got the chance to help start another one across town. He preaches now, about turning to God and overcoming addiction. He's the guy they're all hoping to be."

"He saves them. He'd be someone they would trust, someone they'd turn to…"

"Someone Frank would turn to."

"If Frank knew him," Bobby said. The elevator doors opened, and the two stepped toward the parking garage.

"I get the feeling they all know him," She said. Alex climbed into the driver's seat and buckled up while Bobby got in.

* * *

"Mr. Weist?" Alex asked.

"Yes, delighted. How may I help you?" He said, shaking each of their hands with enthusiasm. His bronze skin was scarred from the hard life he'd lived, but his smile was broad and drew their attention away from all that.

"Mr. Weist, I'm Robert Goren," Bobby said. "I had a brother who… who may have known you."

"Goren? Frank? Are you Frank's brother?"

"Yeah, that's right." Bobby braced himself for whatever news was about to hit him. It all hit him hard. The tales he was used to, of Frank's drug use and his lies and false promises, but now these stories he'd heard of Frank's better side weighed heavily on his heart as well. So he braced himself and waited.

"I only met him a few times," Weist told him, "But I came into possession of something that… that I think you will be interested in."

Bobby perked up, and he threw a glance Eames' way.

"Let me wrap up a few things here, first. Give me an… hour?"

Both Bobby and Alex nodded. Before Alex had the chance to say anything, Goren had taken off his suit coat and hung it in the kitchen. He spoke with one of the workers, and before long, was wearing a plastic apron and dishing out green beans on a tray. With a smile, Alex walked back and joined him.

* * *

It was a short walk to Weist's apartment. Though he obviously had some success as the CEO of the shelter, he still lived modestly. He unlocked the door and invited them in.

His place was neat and clean, but not flashy. He motioned to a chair and the two detectives sat down, one on the chair and the other on his couch.

"Excuse me," he told them, and disappeared into a back room. Bobby got up and wandered, looking closely at the photographs the man had on his wall. They were snapshots from various events supporting programs for the homeless and for recovering addicts. There was one of Damion at the pulpit, sweat pouring from his scarred brow as he delivered a sermon.

"Here it is," Damion announced. He walked in carrying a small, brown, cardboard box.

Bobby felt his heart stop and a cold sweat came over him. This was it, the treasure. He glanced at Eames, who was smiling, her eyes shining with anticipation. Goren went back to his seat on the couch while Damion settled in with the box on his knees.

"Before I give you this, I have to tell you the story," Damion said. This was really John's task, keeping this for your brother. John and Frank were good friends. They knew each other for years, and unfortunately, each contributed to the others' habit. As the story came to me, Frank and John embarked on a new attempt at coming clean. They went to NA together, they even found a cheap efficiency to share. One night, in the excitement of the new life they were creating, Frank told John about his son."

"Donny," Bobby said quietly, following every word.

"That's right, Donny. Mr. Goren, I'm not sure if you know what it's like, those early days giving up an addiction."

"I've, you know, I've studied… withdrawal, and…"

"No, I'm not talking about that. That's a big part of it, sure, but there's also a thrill. There's a thrill a man gets from just having the chance to overcome the mess he's turned out to be. He knows what a failure he's been, and he knows what his loved ones think of him. He knows, deep down that this new commitment, his determination is his only chance. And he's excited to prove it, to prove himself… to prove to the world that he's not what he appears to be… who they have come to expect him to be."

Bobby's face betrayed sadness. Alex slid out of the chair and managed to slip her skinny body onto the couch beside him. She took his hand firmly in hers.

"Of course it doesn't usually last. Addiction is the work of the devil, and his grip is fierce. It takes more than a little willpower to overcome it." The preacher looked Goren in the face. "But I don't have to tell you that."

Bobby shook his head quickly.

"So anyway, Frank and John were excited, hopeful that they would beat it this time, that they would overcome. They talked to each other. They shared their hopes, and their fears, and the reasons driving their determination. Frank talked about his family. He told John about… your mother. About you. About Donny's mother, and Donny."

"Frank had a lot of regrets. He knew because of his own father… your father… that he'd hurt Donny just by his absences. He wanted to make it up to him. He wanted his boy to know how much he loved him. But Frank knew he wasn't good at keeping more than memories. If he got money, he spent it… he bought frivolous things, or he blew it gambling on the horses at the track. On and off the streets, he'd barely managed to save a few photographs over the years. He just couldn't manage to keep anything nice."

Bobby pulled out his wallet and showed Damion the pictures he'd gotten from Frank: the one of the two of them as kids, and the one of Donny. Tears were filling his eyes, but he didn't let them fall.

Weist put a firm hand on Bobby's shoulder and continued his story. "Frank asked John Jacobi to keep a treasure trove for Donny."

"But, how? Frank never had anything… of value…"

Damion squeezed Bobby's shoulder again and offered him a smile. "He had something more valuable than you know. You'll see." The man opened the box. Inside were letter-sized envelopes, each one with the name Donny Carlson, and followed by Donny's age. The older ones were bent and creased, stained by spills. The newer ones were pristine. John had taken his task seriously.

Bobby rooted through the box and withdrew an envelope, holding it carefully in his hand.

"Go ahead," Damion encouraged him. "Read it."

Bobby paused. These were addressed to Donny, after all. He thought of his brother, and he thought of all the possibilities in these letters. There was a real possibility that Frank's ramblings could do more harm than good. Blinking back a tear, he opened the first one.

_Dear Donny,_

_ You're six years old today. I'm sorry I haven't been there for you, kid. I want to, but somehow, things just never work out for me. So I decided to write to you. I want you to know I love you, son, even if I can't be there with you._

_ Six years old! I hope you got some really great toys to play with. I remember when Bobby turned six, me and Grandma got him a set of tinkertoys. Did you ever hear of tinkertoys? They were for building things, kind of cool. Bobby played with those things all the time. I helped him make a helicopter out of them. Maybe if I was there with you, we could build a helicopter, too._

_ I love you, Donny._

_ Dad_

Bobby set the letter aside and pressed his hand to his face. Alex, who'd read the letter over his shoulder, put both arms around him.

Mr. Weist reverently put the letter back into its envelope. He folded the flaps on the box shut. "Your brother never had anything… but love, Mr. Goren… We all have that, no matter how badly we screw up in life."

Bobby sobbed, and Alex squeezed him tighter. "Frank gave John a letter every year on Donny's birthday, and a few more in between. I wouldn't be surprised if you found some in here addressed to you, as well. When John passed away… he had AIDS. I visited him in the hospital those last few weeks, and John told me about the box. He said it was the only thing in his life he'd done right, keeping that promise for his friend Frank. He asked me to take over the responsibility."

Damion offered a glass of water, and over the next half-hour, Bobby regained his composure. Alex hugged Weist, and Bobby did, too. Alex drove him to his apartment, where he set the box on the table and stared at it.

"You okay?" she asked Bobby quietly.

He nodded, even though he still looked like he was on the verge of crying. "Yeah."

"What are you gonna do with all this?" she asked him.

"I don't know… sort it… I guess maybe read some of them."

Alex opened the box and started to lay them out on the table. Before long, Bobby was helping her. They did find two addressed to Bobby, and one to his mother. There was also one for Evelyn.

At last the box was empty. They stared at Frank's treasure, and held hands.

"I'd like to read them with Donny," Bobby said. "I think I… I think that's what I should do."

Alex nodded. "And these others?"

He turned his head and looked deeply into her eyes. Bobby leaned forward and kissed her, then sat back once again. He reached down to the table and picked up one of the letters addressed to him.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

_Dear Bobby,_

_ I've been meaning to tell you all this stuff for years. I've been meaning to write you this letter, since I can't seem to figure out how to say it when I see you. But I guess I keep putting it off. Sometimes I think you already know. I think you should know. But my friends, they tell me I can't make assumptions like that. I have to say it._

_ I love you, Bobby. You're the best brother a man could have. I don't know how I got lucky enough to get you for a brother, but I thank God that I did._

_ You know that, right?_

_ I know I get mad sometimes about how life worked out for me. But when I can manage to get out of my own head, I look at what you've done, and I'm proud of you, Bobby. You're tops in the NYPD. Getting killers off the streets. I could never do a job like that._

_ I'm sorry. You know that, too, right? I hope you do. I kick myself sometimes, knowing that I shoulda done more for you. I think of your face when you realized Dad wasn't coming back to race your little car with you. I didn't mean to turn out like him. I never wanted that. _

_ I'm trying to turn my life around, Bobby. I'm trying to get better. I think I can do it this time, with some help from above. Maybe if I make it, I can chuck this letter and just tell you myself, in person. We could have a cup of coffee together._

_ You remember your first cup of coffee? I told you you wouldn't like it. I told you we didn't have enough sugar to make it taste good. You made the God-awfullest face! And you emptied the sugarbowl and we were out of milk and it was still terrible._

_ I love you, man. I hope you'll forgive me._

_ Love,_

_ Frank_

* * *

_Dear Bobby,_

_ You're mad at me, I know. I just came from the hospital, and I know you thought I was just trying to get something from Mom somehow. And I know you're really pissed. And I can't help it, man. I just think sometimes that of all the crap in my life, if somebody coulda gave me just one thing maybe all of it woulda been better._

_ And just think about this, Bobby. Do you really know what it's like to be homeless? I'm almost there, brother. I've been there before. It's fucking cold out there. I don't wanna go through that again._

_ But I see your point. Mom's sick, and I should be thinking of her, not me. I get that. You've just always been better at dealing with her, man. I don't… I can't. I remember too much, man. I remember what she was like before, and I get so fucking mad! She's not supposed to be this way. So when she starts all that crazy shit I just have to get out of there._

_ But you, Bobby, you just stick it out with her, no matter what, and I don't know how you do it. And now, with the cancer. I see what you were talking about, man. She looked different when I left. She looked tired._

_ I love Mom, Bobby. I do. I guess I'm just not as strong as you are. I guess that's all, that's it._

_ Maybe someday I'll be more like you, but for now I do the best I can._

_ Love you, Bobby._

_ Frank_

Alex's arm was hooked through his, and she looked into his face as she reached the end of the letter. He was on the verge of tears again, but he didn't let them fall.

"He, uh… he asked me about Mom's affairs… did I tell you that?" Bobby said quietly.

Alex shook her head.

"I got pretty upset. I mean, you know… she had nothing, Alex. She was on Medicaid and I was paying for… everything."

"I remember."

"And it just felt like he was trying to cash in on Mom's… situation."

"Sounds like he was."

"I didn't even try to see it from his side, though. I mean, I guess if I was looking at sleeping on the cold streets, maybe I would have—"

"No, Bobby, you wouldn't have."

After a pause, he nodded his agreement. "I guess it's good to look at it from his point of view, though." After a pause, he turned to her. "You think he really wanted to be like me?"

Alex shrugged. "I don't see why he would have written it down if he didn't."

"He was right, I was pissed. I was with Mom some the next day, and she kept asking about him and I felt kinda bad about it."

"He felt bad, too."

"Why, Eames? Why did we have to be so… screwed up? Mom, Dad, Frank, me… None of us were bad people, really… so why?"

She shrugged and pulled him into her arms.

"I loved him, Alex."

"I know you did, Bobby."

"I never got the chance to tell him." He barely got the words out for the sob that swelled up in his chest.

"I know," she soothed, holding him close.

After a while, he pulled away. Alex searched his face, and he seemed all right. He tucked his two letters back into the box. "If I got to read his, it's only fair he gets to read mine," Bobby told her.

"That last one, it wasn't Frank's best side," she said quietly.

Bobby shrugged. "It was Frank."

"What about the one for your mother?"

He tucked it into a book on his shelf. "Another day."

* * *

Bobby spent some time in the shower while Alex cleaned up after dinner. When she heard the water turn off, she walked back to his room. Bobby came out of the bathroom, moist from the steamy air and red from the heat of his shower. He had a towel tucked around his waist, but it was very loose.

Alex pulled her top up over her head and tossed it aside. She wriggled out of her slacks and left them lying on the floor as she stepped forward. She grabbed him by the towel and pulled his hips next to hers.

Bobby saw her powerful arm muscles flex as she tugged on the towel, and he was stricken with desire. He leaned in close and his hands found the clasp for her bra. As it popped open, his towel fell to the floor.

The smell of her skin was intoxicating to him. As she let the bra fall free, his hands slipped down to the waist of her panties and pushed them down.

Alex discarded the rest of her underwear and they stood naked in each other's arms. She tilted her head up, and he gladly brought his lips to hers.

Her hands were cold, but the rest of her wasn't. Bobby grinned as her hands drifted down his hairy chest, and he hugged her tight, pinning her cold hands between them. He kissed her. "Your hands are like ice," he grinned.

"You're warm," she said, kissing him this time.

His tongue played against hers until they broke away again. "Gotta warm you up," he said.

Alex smiled. "It won't take much," she said, and moved her leg gently. He could feel the pressure against his cock, and he stiffened at the touch. Bobby leaned down and groaned before kissing her neck.

Within a few minutes, Alex freed her now-warm hands. Her hands smoothed over his skin, all the way down to his legs. The two caught each other's lips and the sweet, yeasty taste of beer there. Bobby, still tired from a night of poor sleep and the evening spent wrestling his emotions was more than happy for a distraction. A tiny moan escaped him as he devoured her with kisses.

Bobby ducked his head lower and drew in a ragged breath as her hands began to explore his groin. He lifted her breasts with his hands and his wet mouth drifted over one and then the other.

He was huge in Alex's small hand. She let her left hand rest on his bare behind as her right stroked downward and then delicately cupped his tender balls.

He moaned against her nipple, and she let her hand drift upward again. Bobby's eyes were half-closed. Dreamily, he swirled his tongue against her before sucking her into his hot mouth.

She sucked in her breath at the new sensation, and her hand gripped his rod like a weapon. She held him tight, pulling and pushing until she felt him trying to move with her.

He dropped her breast from his mouth, "Oh, God," he groaned.

Alex let go of him and they staggered clumsily to his bed. The covers were a mess from the other night. Bobby knocked them to the floor with one sweep of his arm. He climbed over her and kissed her, hard, and then felt her pushing on his hipbone. He let her hand guide him and turned over to his back.

For just a few minutes, Alex caressed him with her hand. Her eyes followed its every motion, up and over his chest, over his ribs and into the softness of his abdomen. Her hand moved under his cock, around it, and then she stroked him with one red fingernail.

He jerked at this new touch, but didn't complain. Alex was careful not to scratch him. She trailed her finger down his length, around his balls, and onto the skin just underneath his scrotum. Bobby gasped softly. Alex kept her finger there and planted kisses along his stomach.

Bobby's hand found its way to the back of her head. He petted her gently as she continued to surprise him with her touch.

She kissed the tip of his cock, and his eyes rolled back in his head. Alex sucked him gently, and his hand slowly glided down her smooth back and over her round ass cheeks. She brought him deeper into her mouth and let her tongue swirl all around his shaft. Bobby's hand worked its way into the warmth of her crotch. He let his fingers slide along her slit, feeling her growing wetter with every stroke.

"Alex," he groaned as she sucked him again.

She teased the tip of his cock a moment longer and then turned her body back to face him. Alex moved to straddle him, and he positioned himself.

"I never thought…" he whispered.

"Shhh, Bobby," she said.

Her body fit tightly over him and she smiled to see the bliss on his face as she sank deeper down. Bobby's hands caressed her thighs as she began to ride him slowly up and down.

He tried to restrain himself. He knew moving too hard, too soon, could hurt her. Bobby held as still as he could and licked his bottom lip while she grew bolder in her movements.

Finally, he bucked against her, and she squealed with pleasure. As Bobby began to move with her, his hands found hers. They laced their fingers together and held on until she cried out with every push.

Bobby felt her pussy tighten against him and he moaned aloud. He pushed hard, heaving with each thrust, and she arched back as she let go one final cry.

They climaxed together, clinging tightly to each other's hands trembling at the intensity. Alex panted overtop him and changed her hold on his hands. He looked up into her flushed, sweaty face. Very carefully, she bent forward and eased into his embrace.

Alex didn't know where she began or he did. As her body buzzed with satisfaction, she listened to his heart racing in his chest. Bobby raised his hand and stroked her sweaty hair back away from her face.

Alex kissed him on the wrist as his hand moved along her cheek.

"I never thought I could have you," he whispered. "Alex, I've loved you forever."

She kissed his chest, and then his powerful hand. "I'm so glad you let me in," she told him. "Bobby, I love you. I was so afraid you would never let me love you." She raised up off his chest and the motion brought tiny waves of pleasure to both of them. Their link was broken when Alex stretched to kiss him.

"I'm so afraid I'll screw things up. I'm no good at relationships," he admitted.

"Shhh, Bobby…" she kissed him again. "You know what the preacher said? About love?"

He nodded, staring intently at her.

"We've had that a long time. We will always have love."

Bobby knew she was trying to put him at ease, but nothing could ever allay his fears completely. He was damaged goods, and he really didn't expect his track record to change. Alex's lips found his, and he left the thoughts by the wayside as he decided to take pleasure in the moment.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

By the time Sunday came around, Bobby was anxious to meet with Donny. Alex drove him up, but didn't impose herself. Alex made herself comfortable in the car and settled back to read a book.

Goren waited for them to bring Donny in. He brought the box, and it had already been thoroughly screened by the security team. Now he sat at the table beside it, his knee bouncing uncontrollably.

The door opened and Donny was led in. One of his escorts left the room and the other stayed just inside the door.

"Uncle Bobby," he said with a smile. Bobby got up and gave the boy a hug.

"You got a bruise," Bobby said, his finger wagging in the direction of Donny's cheek.

"Yeah, uh… I had a problem."

Bobby sat on his side of the table, worried and waiting to hear the rest of the story.

"No biggie, the guy just didn't like me, I guess."

"Did you fight back?"

"I didn't have to," Donny laughed. "He'd mouthed off to this big guy earlier, and the dude was just waiting for a chance to wail on him."

Goren was concerned. He didn't want Donny jeopardizing his chance at parole by fighting, but he also didn't want him beholden to any of the inmates. "You keep your eyes open," Goren warned.

Donny nodded. He didn't really want his Uncle's warnings, but he was kind enough to take them without getting defensive. "What's this?" He asked, gesturing to the box.

"Frank's treasure," Bobby said.

Donny was hesitant. He looked at the state of the cardboard box. "Looks kinda cheap," he said.

Bobby nodded, but said nothing. He wasn't sure what the kid would think of it. "Open it," Bobby told him.

Donny slid the box in front of him. He bounced nervously, and then untucked the flaps on the top. He looked inside, then up at Bobby. Then he reached in and withdrew the letters.

"What's this?"

"It's… letters. He asked a friend to keep them for you. Well, there were a couple for me in there, as well."

"Letters? The old man left me letters?"

"Look, you knew he didn't have any money."

"Yeah, I knew that."

"You should read them."

"Did you?"

"I read the first one for you. And I read the ones of mine."

"You didn't read them all already? Screen them for me?"

Bobby shook his head. "No." Bobby leaned forward. "Look, I know what you're thinking. But this… this is your chance to get to know him."

"I don't know if I want to."

Bobby nodded gently as he let the boy think about it. "I can just hold them for you… until you're ready."

"No. I—" Donny hugged himself and took a deep breath. "I don't want that. I just… I don't know how I'll take it."

Again, Bobby nodded. "Maybe just one, then. You can take your time. Go through just one at a time… spend the week thinking about it."

"And you?"

"I'd like to read them, too… if you don't mind," Bobby said.

Donny shifted uncomfortably. He turned the letter over and over in his hands. "I might, you know, I might get mad. It used to drive Mom crazy, how I'd go off about Dad."

"I understand," Bobby said. They sat in a nervous silence for several minutes and then Bobby suddenly shifted. "Look, it's not easy for me, either. But this…" Bobby gestured over the box with his left hand. "This is your Dad."

Slowly, with shaking fingers, Donny opened the envelope.

* * *

Bobby came out of the prison, the box neatly tucked under his arm. Alex sat up and set her book on the console. She waited for Bobby to get in. He worked around the box to put his seatbelt on.

"He didn't want to read them?"

"We… we decided to take just one or two at a time," Bobby said.

"You okay?" she asked him.

He nodded and tilted his head so he could meet her gaze. "Yeah. Donny, he's a good kid. I don't know… it's almost like… this is Frank's way to fix things."

She gave him a look of pride, leaned over, and kissed his cheek. A tiny smile graced his lips, and like a hungry teenager, he started rattling off about dinner.

* * *

He was denied the first month, and had to wait another month to go before the parole board. The day Donny was released, Bobby hosted a homecoming party for him. His mother came in from Pennsylvania. Bobby drove to Rikers to pick him up, and Evelyn waited with Alex at Bobby's apartment.

"C-can I use your phone?" Donny asked.

Bobby smiled at him. "Your mother's at the apartment," he said.

"It's not her I want to call."

Bobby reached into his pocket and handed over the cell phone. He fired up the mustang and the two headed for Brooklyn. Bobby tried not to eavesdrop as Donny spoke to Mia, but it was impossible in the car.

Donny didn't mind. Over the last two months, he'd come to know his Uncle very well.

* * *

Alex still had a problem with Evelyn. They set out a few bowls of snacks and kept the pizza warm in the oven. Alex had even bought a couple of cases of Donny's favorite soda and had it chilling in the fridge.

The work was done, and now there was nothing to talk about. Nothing, except Donny and Bobby.

"I don't know if I like the idea of him living here," Evelyn said.

"It was Donny's decision," Alex told her.

"Oh, I know… but I think it's pretty clear that Donny doesn't always make the wisest decisions."

Alex sighed and bit her tongue.

"And don't get me wrong, I appreciate everything Bobby has done for him."

"That's good," Eames said under her breath.

"I could never have gotten Donny out…"

"Well, the good thing is he's moving on, now," Alex told her.

"You know… I guess I just have a problem trusting Bobby. I spent a lot of years thinking he didn't give a damn."

Alex opened a soft drink and took a drink to keep from saying anything.

"I mean," Evelyn continued, "Frank always told me Bobby had just written him off… and so when Donny came along… it just made me mad, you know? My little boy… I couldn't understand how he could be so cold to an innocent child."

Alex choked on the drink and had to endure the woman patting her on the back. Finally, she caught her breath again.

"When I read that letter that Frank wrote… everything Bobby said was true. He didn't know about Donny. Neither did their mother. But even knowing the truth, it's hard to let go… I harbored that anger for years…"

"Frank told you the truth?"

"Yes, in the letter, the one that was in Donny's treasure box."

"So you know that Bobby had no idea about Donny, until Tates."

Evelyn didn't get a chance to answer, because the door opened, and they were too busy welcoming Donny home.

* * *

Evelyn had already left for her hotel, and Donny was getting settled on the couch. Bobby and Alex were in the kitchen, cleaning up the last of the mess. All evening, they'd hidden their relationship from Donny's mother.

They finally had a moment of privacy. Bobby wiped down the countertop and tossed the washcloth in the sink. He dried his hands on a towel and turned to Alex.

"New chapter," she told him.

"Yeah," he said, with a glance at his shoes and a finger scratching behind his ear.

Alex moved closer and put her hands over his shoulders. "I'm still here," she told him.

Bobby grinned and accepted her kiss. Then he opened his arms and wrapped them around her in a warm hug.

"Uncle Bobby, where do I put my— Oh, sorry," Donny said, and turned away.

"It's okay, Donny," Alex told him, and let Bobby go. Goren led the way down the hall and answered Donny's question. It was the first time he'd seen them so intimate, but Donny already knew Bobby and Alex were a couple. Bobby had told him about it during one of their sessions with the letters.

There were a few sacrifices they were making in their relationship for Donny's sake. Bobby was going to keep his apartment alcohol-free, at least until he knew where Donny stood with that sort of thing. And they had agreed not to sleep together at Bobby's place. Bobby expected the kid to get his own apartment within six months; they could meet up at Alex's place if need be. And although Bobby hadn't said it directly, she knew Bobby wasn't planning to stay over at her place for a while, either. He wanted to be there for Donny, to do everything he could to help him transition back into society.

That was a lot of sacrifice. So Eames had no intention of hiding her love for Bobby in front of the kid. Grateful that she hadn't pressured him about any of the rest of it, Bobby had willingly agreed to inform Donny of their relationship.

He came back in and shrugged at her. "Sorry about that," Bobby muttered. He took her in his arms again, and they shared a long kiss.

"I'd better get going," Alex said. "You good?"

The affection in Bobby's eyes made her heart do a flip. "We're fine."

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said with another kiss.

Bobby walked her to the door, kissed her deeply, and said "Good night."

* * *

Listening to every move Donny made in the next room, it took Bobby a long time to fall asleep.

"Frank?"

_He's happy here, Bobby._

"Who, Donny?"

_You did it, man. He's safe now. He'll be all right._

"I hope so."

_I'm proud of you, Bobby._

THE END

* * *

A/N Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing. I hope you enjoyed the ride! It'd be cool if some of you other authors tackled a Donny story. I'd like to read some other ideas! Thanks Cherylwb for Beta-ing me again! You're the best!


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